Willie O'Dea (Limerick City, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I take it the Minister agrees with my contention that less than 10% of the money lost by the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection relates to deliberate fraud. I think the figure is €40 million as opposed to several hundred million euro, which is lost as a result of errors on the part of the Department itself or of genuine mistakes on the part of individuals.

Individuals who are detected for social welfare fraud, who go to court and are prosecuted and sentenced generally have their details published in newspapers. Everybody in their community knows they have defrauded the social welfare system and if that is not a sufficient deterrent to people, I do not see how publication of their names on a list several months later will be a more effective deterrent. I do not see how it will be the straw that breaks the camel's back or the extra thing that stops people from defrauding the State.

During the Second Stage debate on the Bill, the Minister gave an assurance to the House that there would be no question of the list being available for other purposes or to other organisations. She said that appropriate measures would be taken to ensure that the list would not be more widely disseminated. What practical steps are being taken to honour that commitment?

See this speech in context