PPS fraud - Department brought this one on itself

After the very costly computer systems fiascoes involving e-voting and PPARS (the payroll and human resource system for the health service), and the controversial garda PULSE system (used to record offences), the latest one to be exposed concerns the Personal Public Service (PPS) numbers.

That is a crucial number because it is a person’s public identity number which can be used to claim social welfare, gain working status, open a bank account, get a credit card and claim health benefits.

Despite its importance in establishing one’s identity, and its potential role in identity theft, the Department of Social and Family Affairs, which issues PPS numbers, is unable to check if a non-national applicant is on the system or not, and cannot cancel a number if that person leaves the country.