33-year fraud uncovered only when President's bounty was offered to dead Cork pensioner

Donal O’Callaghan had been claiming the pensions of his dead mother and dead father. His father had also been claiming for his dead wife

The court heard that Donal O'Callaghan was also claiming a jobseekers payment making his weekly income around €700 in cash. Photo: Dan Linehan

It was not until the President’s bounty was offered to a 100-year-old Cork man that it was discovered he was dead for 33 years and his son had been claiming his pension.

“It is the largest and longest-running case of welfare fraud in the history of the state,” Detective Garda Mick Nagle said.

In fact, 59-year-old Donal O’Callaghan was not just claiming his dead father’s pension from 1987 until 2020, he was claiming his dead mother’s pension throughout that period too.

And when Detective Garda Mick Nagle investigated the matter he discovered that Donal O’Callaghan’s father had been claiming for his wife even though she died seven years before he did.

Getting death certs proved almost impossible in the investigation so Det. Garda Nagle decided to search graveyards in Cork and did not stop until he found headstones for Donal O’Callaghan’s parents. He could finally prove that Donal (Don) O’Callaghan’s father, Donald O’Callaghan, died in 1987 and his mother, Eileen, died seven years before that.

Donal O’Callaghan of 4 Churchfield Green, Cork, will be sentenced on Wednesday and the facts of the case were outlined today for Judge Helen Boyle at Cork Circuit Criminal Court.

President's bounty

Det. Garda Nagle said: “In July 2020 a social welfare inspector at Hanover Street, Cork, received notification of a pensioner in the locality who was due to reach 100 years of age. This would result in the issuing of a congratulatory letter from the President as well as a cheque for €2,540.

“The information was that two pensioners were in receipt of a state pension being paid to Donald O’Callaghan – with Eileen O’Callaghan included on the same pension - as opposed to two separate pension claims. The pension was being collected at the GPO in Cork.

“The inspector spoke with Don O’Callaghan by phone (because of Covid restrictions) who confirmed that he resided at the address with his father and mother, and that his father was willing to accept the President’s payment.” Don O’Callaghan – the accused – filled out the necessary paperwork. 

In the meantime, Det. Garda Nagle was searching for death certs and for evidence of any public health nurses having dealings with the apparently ageing couple.

“In September 2020, I located the grave of Eileen O’Callaghan at Tory Top Road cemetery and the following week I located the grave of Donald O’Callaghan at Douglas cemetery. Donald died 34 years ago in November 1987, aged 68, and his wife Eileen O’Callaghan died 43 years ago in March 1979, aged 57.

On the morning of October 9, Don O’Callaghan was arrested after making what would be his last claim for joint fortnightly pensions for his deceased parents at the GPO. The last payment of €961.60 was confiscated from him. €9,800 was found in a search of his home and that was seized too. 

'Decided to take a chance'

Otherwise, the State is at a loss of well over half a million euro. It all began when the accused was 24 years old and on checking his father’s documents after his death he found his pension book.

“He attempted to collect it the following week and when successful he continued this practice for over three decades,” Det. Garda Nagle said.

Defence senior counsel, Ray Boland, said on behalf of the accused: “He would have started this when going through his father’s documents. He decided to take a chance. His father was collecting a pension also for his dead wife. His father must have applied for a joint pension. It was already in place (when Don O’Callaghan began to make the claim).

The State is at a loss of well over half a million euro because of Donal O'Callaghan's fraud. Photo: Dan Linehan

“He has a difficulty with gambling. He went to the same branch of Paddy Power’s on Pembroke Street just across the road from the GPO. He had a huge difficulty with gambling. He tells me he needs help with his gambling.” The defendant who has no previous convictions will be sentenced on Wednesday.

He pleaded guilty to 73 sample counts - 68 counts relate to theft and five relate to false documentation in support of the fraudulent claims. In fact, there were almost 1,700 separate thefts in this fraud. Det. Garda Nagle said the total amount of pensions claimed over 33 years amounted to €527,000.

As well as fraudulently claiming his late parents’ pensions, the accused was also claiming a jobseekers payment making his weekly income approximately €700 in cash.