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

12:15 pm

Photo of Paschal DonohoePaschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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I thank the witnesses for attending and for their preparation for the meeting. I acknowledge that the staff of the Department are doing very difficult work in trying circumstances. In particular, the community welfare officers do great work in trying times, which we must acknowledge.

I will discuss the fraud issue but shift first to an issue that was mentioned in the Department's opening statement, which is Pathways to Work and the Department's work on activation. Deputy Deasy referred earlier to the number of people who failed to turn up for interviews with the relevant officials. It appears that one in four people did not attend an interview with an inspector or official in the relevant office. Can Ms O'Donoghue confirm if the figure is still valid or if there is more up-to-date information available?