Social welfare staff diverted cash to own accounts

Social welfare staff diverted money into their own bank accounts and approved payments to unworthy applicants, suspected fraud cases detailed by the head of the department reveal.

The information on eight cases from 2011 has been supplied to the Public Accounts Committee by Niamh O’Donoghue, the secretary general of the Department of Social Protection.

The cases of suspected fraud include one in which a staff member overpaid customers and then stole the refunds he demanded of them. Ms O’Donoghue said her department lost €35,229 because of the scam and the staff member earned €25,970.