Welfare fraud - What a waste of our money

CONFRONTING fraud and theft at all levels of society is welcome, especially if the money being stolen is taxpayers’.

Today we learn that a social welfare crackdown saved the Government €238 million since the start of the year. That works out at over €1m each and every day since January 1. Minister Mary Hanafin hopes that figure will rise to €525m by the end of the year.

Are we to assume that that fraud would have gone unnoticed if the recession had not arrived?

Already this week we heard how the HSE squandered €20m through mismanagement.

If this kind of carelessness with public funds is reflected across all government departments, and let us hope it is not, we will have no difficulty in coping with spending cuts. Neither should we have any difficulty cutting those responsible for such waste of public funds.