Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I urge the Deputy to bring the details of that specific case to my office and I will examine it. The Department makes variable arrangements depending on the circumstances of the individual. Prior to the introduction of new legislation, the Department could only collect €2 per week from people who had been overpaid. Frankly, some of the people involved in fraud were paying back €2 per week and could swagger down the street while their neighbours were paying tax and PRSI. Not only were they giving the two fingers to the Department of Social Protection, they were also giving two fingers to the decent people living around them. They committed fraud but the Department was limited in its ability to recover the money. Some of the fraud amounted to €20,000 or €30,000, so the Deputy can do the sums on that.

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