Garda probe of ‘irregularities’ ongoing after two years

Two years after it was uncovered in 2012, an investigation involving gardaí is still ongoing into "irregularities" involving Department of Social Protection staff in two supplementary welfare allowance cases which cost the State €1.2m.

The losses in one of the cases amounted to over €1m, according to the 2013 report of the Comptroller and Auditor General, Séamus McCarthy.

Expenditure on supplementary welfare in 2013 was €611m, of which over 90% was on basic supplementary welfare allowance, rent supplement, mortgage interest supplement, and exceptional/urgent needs payments.