Our changing society - Time to get real about all fraud

TWO indicators of how our society is changing have been given prominence over the last few days.

Yesterday the Director of Public Prosecutions, James Hamilton, told us one in every four cigarettes smoked in the country is either smuggled or counterfeit.

The other development, which flies in the face of our traditional but delusional omerta on these matters, was the announcement from Minister for Social and Family Affairs Mary Hanafin that there has been a dramatic rise in the number of allegations of social welfare fraud made by members of the public against neighbours or acquaintances. The new figure showed an increase of 480% and though it started from a fairly low base it suggests a dramatic and welcome shift on these matters.