Nicky McFadden (Fine Gael)

I would also like to raise the issue of people flying into this country to claim dole and the suggestion that each of these people defrauding our country has cost the State €10,000. This is extraordinary when so many of our people need the dole and we do not enough to pay them at this stage. Why is there not joined-up thinking between the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform and the Department of Social and Family Affairs so that PPS numbers are used to register these people? I call for a debate on this matter. The officials of the Department of Social and Family Affairs came to the Oireachtas committee to discuss all of these issues but I cannot understand how it has taken so long for people to need to be identified by their photograph, for example. This involves not just foreign nationals but also includes Irish people claiming dole while working or pretending to be sick. There is a serious need for a debate in the House on fraud.