Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)

The Deputy is correct that it is important to continue to have strong control measures. As money becomes more scarce, we must ensure that it is targeted at the right people. A total of 620 staff members throughout the country are involved in control in some form. The Deputy referred to the rule for signing on each week as having some impact. Other segments being targeted are the 18 to 25 year olds who are regarded as a particular risk group by our special investigation unit. People who have had their claims suspended are also investigated. The group involved in the employment action plan but who are still on the live register are constantly being reviewed, as also are those on the job seekers and child benefit schemes.

I referred to the amounts we intend to save on the child benefit scheme this year. We regularly send out letters to families receiving child benefit to ascertain if they are resident in the country. If a reply is not received within 21 days, payment is suspended after 42 days and then stopped completely if no further information is received from them. We also carry out a check with schools etc. to ensure that the information supplied by the claimant is valid.

A survey conducted on child benefit a few years ago among 500 Irish nationals showed that the fraud rate was about 1.7%, but the fraud rate among a sample of 500 non-nationals was almost 14% so this is a particular group to be targeted. This month, the Department will be writing to 7,000 non-national families with children resident in Ireland and 2,300 with children who are not resident in Ireland.

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