Not known how many reports of welfare fraud led to detection of offence

The Department of Social Protection has admitted it does not know how many allegations of welfare fraud submitted by members of the public actually lead to the detection of an offense.

Social Protection Minister Leo Varadkar launched a publicity campaign promoting his department’s online and telephone fraud-reporting services, but the department said it does not track whether reports by the public were of merit and helped detect a fraud.

“The department does not track each individual report through the review and statutory decision process given the hearsay nature of the material such reports contain,” the department said in a statement.