Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Again, I do not have a problem with that. However, we are making the wrong assumptions if we are missing 15,000 people in our projections. If the Department projects that the expenditure will be a certain amount, but by the middle of the year it decides it is an extra €190 million, that is the equivalent of 15,000 pensioners. However, I will leave it at that.

The other issue is control savings. As this is the first section, it relates to most areas. Every year the control savings - that so much can be gained or is unspent - are a major focus of the media. It is a saving because it is money that is not spent for the rest of the year. In the pensions area saving for this year due to control reviews is €157 million. Again, as modernisation takes place and various sections within the Department work together, I presume that figure should decrease, given that more accurate records will be kept.

That means it will be more difficult for people to engage in fraud and for mistakes to happen because a computer will double check the available information. The amount saved seems to increase each year-----