Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Thursday, 14 March 2013

Public Accounts Committee

2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 38 – Social Protection
Chapter 21 – Expenditure on Welfare and Employment Schemes
Chapter 22 – Welfare Overpayment Debts
Chapter 23 – Regularity of Social Welfare Payments
Social Insurance Fund – Annual Accounts 2011

11:55 am

Ms Niamh O'Donoghue:

Yes; it covered insurance audits, training and the ratio of participants to supervisors. In some areas there were opportunities for us to make progress. The net effect is that we managed to achieve savings on our community employment programme spend, while at the same time putting in place better financial foundations and structures for further delivery in the next few years. No scheme had to close on foot of the measures put in place, although there were some changes because there were amalgamations. However, no schemes were impacted on to the extent that they had to close.