Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

A just and fair society is a clear objective of the programme for Government. In that regard, it is important for Ministers to tell the truth and refrain from engaging in fake news about specific issues. I refer, in particular, to the social welfare budget. Recently, a campaign on welfare cheats was launched by the Minister for Social Protection, Deputy Leo Varadkar, setting out the big figure of €500 million which could be gained from tackling fraud. Deputy Willie O'Dea tabled a parliamentary question, to which we received a comprehensive reply yesterday setting out, lo and behold, that only €41 million in payments was attributable to fraud. Social welfare inspectors conduct face-to-face interviews and desktop reviews through which they discern the level of fraud. In this instance, the nation has been the victim of an extraordinary degree of fake news. The subtext of the Department and the Minister sponsoring an expensive media advertising campaign to tell untruths and brand welfare recipients in general - that is the most serious issue - appears to be about creating the impression that there is welfare fraud involving hundreds of millions which the Minister, Deputy Leo Varadkar, is going to get because he wants to be leader. For those in receipt of social welfare payments, it is not good enough and does not speak to the just and fair society and the creation of a social economy as articulated in chapter 3 of the programme for Government. Does the Taoiseach agree that it was wrong and unfair to suggest there was a sum of €500 million when, in fact, according to the details of the Minister's own parliamentary reply, the figure is only €41 million?

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