Social worker’s foster kids fraud cost State €100k

A judge is considering jailing a social worker after she put the names of children who were never in care on a HSE register in order to defraud the State of nearly €100,000.

Jennifer O’Driscoll aged 45 of St John’s Terrace, World’s End, Kinsale, Co Cork, pleaded guilty to 38 counts of theft and 42 counts of deception at North Lee Social Work Department, Blackpool, Cork, between May 2008 and January 2013.

Det Sgt Clodagh O’Sullivan said an investigation was launched in 2013 after a complaint was made by Tusla regarding payment for foster carers.