Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I move amendment No. 19:

In page 18, to delete lines 1 and 2.

This pertains to the proposal by the Minister to second 20 gardaí to the Department of Social Protection to help in the detection of fraud by people who are claiming social welfare benefits. On Committee Stage, I argued that while I was not opposed to the measure, I found it strange that it was included in this legislation because I believe it is a duplication of what already is available through the Criminal Assets Bureau, CAB, and the promises by various Ministers for Justice and Equality that CAB would be recalibrated to look beyond the high-profile cases. As Members are aware, CAB has the Minister's multi-agency approach in respect of dealing with social welfare.

It comprises the Revenue Commissioners, An Garda Síochána and, if required, officials of Departments, which in many cases is an inspector of the Department of Social Protection. I am unsure whether the gardaí involved are required in such numbers. I have argued previously for more social welfare inspectors to help out because an increase in the number of inspectors results in more money being recovered. I am not arguing against this proposal per se. My concern is the provision in the Bill about the wearing of uniforms. Current powers for secondment stipulate that gardaí must be in uniform and this provision could allow gardaí to work under cover for the Department. That sounds fine, and they can do so in any case, but my amendment provides that they should stay in uniform. I refer to the practice in multi-agency checkpoints which often are made up of representatives of the Revenue Commissioners who are not in uniform and representatives from the Department of Social Protection who do not wear a uniform nor do I intend them to wear a uniform. As a consequence, a multi-agency task force checkpoint might not have any identifiable uniforms on show. I am concerned at that approach. Maybe if the gardaí are confined to office they do not need to be in uniform, but the social welfare inspectors who have visited homes do not wear a uniform and I do not see the reason a garda in uniform would make any major difference. That said, I will not delay the passage of the Bill on this issue. It was not the subject of discussion on Committee Stage. The other provisions in section 15 are fine and this one seems to be an anomaly.

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