Welfare fraud tip-offs from public increase

Fraud “isn’t an issue” for the Department of Social Protection, according to its secretary general despite a significant increase in the number of tip-offs from members of the public.

Niamh O’Donoghue yesterday told the Public Accounts Committee that the department is satisfied that the vast majority of welfare recipients are entitled to the payments they receive, and that in many cases a misunderstanding of the system leads to wrongful complaints from the public.

Ms O’Donoghue, who was before the committee to discuss the Comptroller and Auditor General’s 2013 annual report, said approximately 20% of the complaints made by the public are of value to the department.