Paschal Mooney (Fianna Fail)

If the Senator believes that, he and I are on a different side of the line. That is why I am here and the Senator on the other side of the House. I am no expert in this area, but I suggest that social welfare fraud is easier to detect. As all Members agree, social welfare fraud involves taking money from the State to which one is not entitled. It is not any more complex than this in that a person is either employed or unemployed. If unemployed, one is entitled to welfare assistance. However, a person working in the black market has no such entitlement. Nor is a person who has no physical disability and is able to work entitled to claim disability allowance. The structure and architecture of the social welfare system means there are regional and local officers with the resources to investigate the circumstances of social welfare applicants. Nobody can have much sympathy for those who must repay moneys or are stopped from taking further contributions to which they are not entitled.

However, I have some sympathy with the sentiments expressed by Opposition Members in so far as it seems unfortunately to be part of western European culture that it is invariably those who have little resources who end up before the courts.