Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Thursday, 9 December 2021

Public Accounts Committee

2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 37 - Social Protection
Chapter 9 - Regularity of Social Welfare Payments
Chapter 10 - Management of Social Welfare Appeals
Chapter 11 - Controls Over the Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment

9:30 am

Mr. John McKeon:

I cannot comment on a particular investigation or case that is ongoing. There are investigations under way, conducted by our employment status investigation unit. It is a unit that we set up specifically to take a proactive view rather than waiting for people to come to us with an inquiry. Where we have become aware of concerns about a particular sector or circumstances, we send our employment status investigations unit to look at it. It would look at workers who may currently be on a contract for service when they could be deemed to be on a contract of service. It would try to determine which they fit in, whether they are self-employed or employed, and reach determinations on that.