€500 fine for fraudulently claiming €26k from dole

A man, who claimed he did not he know he was cheating when he fraudulently claimed over €26,000 in dole payments, has been fined €500.

Manus McFadden, with an address at Easton Park, Leixlip, Co Kildare, but formally of Gortlee Rd, Letterkenny, Co Donegal, pleaded guilty to charges under the Social Welfare Consolidation Act.

Judge John O’Neill heard at Dublin District Court that McFadden received €26,525 and has given €5,323 back to social welfare authorities.

Prosecution solicitor Joseph Maguire said at the current repayment rate of €50 a week, it would take eight years to coup all the money.

He faced one charge for failing to notify he was working and making five false declarations.

He was claiming jobseeker’s allowance between September 2009 and May 2012 but did not disclose his wife was working, which would have disentitled him the benefit payment.

McFadden, who has no prior criminal convictions, told the court he had told a social welfare employee that his wife started working and that later she had been sick.

He thought everything was in order and did not know he was cheating, he said, adding he intends to increase repayment amounts.

Fining him, Judge O’Neill told him the amount outstanding is not going to go away.