Barry Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

In 2010, the Department referred a total of 341 cases for legal proceedings under either social welfare or criminal justice legislation out of a total of 1.4 million people receiving payments. This represents 0.024% of claimants. Does the Minister accept, therefore, that the fraud statistics published by her Department are misleading in that they clearly imply an exorbitant level of fraud that is not statistically verifiable? The rhetoric and commentary in this regard is unfair, unjust and uncalled for. The people on the live register are hurting, not only financially but also mentally, in their efforts to maintain their family life and some form of normality against a backdrop of this cruel existence. This commentary and rhetoric must cease. I ask the Minister to comment on the fact that the numbers as issued by the Department are misleading.

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