Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)

We have identified how many reviews we will make within each scheme and how much we hope to gain from those reviews. We have over-achieved in respect of the number of reviews in some areas and have under-achieved in terms of the amount of money saved. As I stated earlier, we recouped more than we expected in respect of carers and less than we thought under other schemes. The number of reviews has increased. Spot-checks are being carried out across all the schemes.

There is a large black economy of people who are working and claiming benefits. Not alone are there people working and claiming social welfare, there are people who are working, not claiming social welfare but are demanding cash payment for work done. Many people are willing to pay them cash. People resent that their incomes have been reduced, they have had to pay levies and so on and they want to obtain better value for money. However, in paying cash to a tradesman or person providing a service, they are denying to the State the taxation in that regard, which money could be reinvested in the economy.

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