If the Government really wants to tackle fraud, it should take on banks

THE Government is engaged in a campaign of vilification against those claiming social protection benefits despite an Oireachtas report revealing the proportion of fraudulent overpayments actually decreased by more than half between 2007 and 2010.

Headlines across a variety of media screamed last week that the numbers of people reporting suspected cases of social welfare fraud skyrocketed from just 579 instances in 2006 to over 16,000 in 2011.

Minister for Social Protection Joan Burton suggested the “sharp increase” in the number of anonymous tips-offs was emblematic of a “cultural shift” in the traditional Irish aversion to snitching to authorities.