Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)

I do not want to give the impression that everybody is on the make in regard to such payments. The electronic transfer system ensures the automatic transfer of payments and it is a smooth and efficient way of going about our business, but sometimes people may continue to claim or forget to claim and there can be a good reason for that, but we are clamping down on payments that should not be made. We will continue to do that and we will increase the amount of such activity, particularly in regard to child benefit claims, in the coming months. On all of our schemes, control is a serious element. The Deputy is right in saying this is taxpayers' money and it is urgently needed for those people who deserve it.

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