Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees
Thursday, 1 May 2014
Public Accounts Committee
2012 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 37 - Social Protection
Chapter 16 - Expenditure on Welfare and Employment Schemes
Chapter 17 - Regularity of Social Welfare Payments
Chapter 18 - Welfare Overpayment Debts
Chapter 19 - Domiciliary Care Allowance
Chapter 20 - Invalidity Pension
Social Insurance Fund Annual Accounts 2012
12:55 pm
Ms Niamh O'Donoghue:
It is primarily due to the 15% provision but not exclusively because we have upped our game in pursuing payment recovery at an early stage. We are not recovering 15% in all instances because a deciding officer has discretion. While we seek to recover 15%, if the circumstances of the individual are such that it would cause great hardship, the deciding officer can come to a different arrangement.