Michael Mullins (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I have great sympathy with the amendment tabled by Senator Paschal Mooney. Certainly it is an issue that has been raised on many occasions with me by hard-pressed taxpayers. There appears to be something fundamentally wrong that benefit is being paid to children who are not living in our country but in a country where the rate is much lower.

Another issue about which we spoke yesterday is social welfare fraud. How robust is our system to ensure payment is made only for those who legitimately exist and that there is not a manipulation of the system? A case was brought to my attention recently, which I may have relayed privately to the Minister, by a registrar of births in my town who, following the birth of a child, received a request from 14 individuals for a copy of the birth certificate. I do not think it was for the purpose of framing them or souvenirs those requests were made. Obviously, the registrar did not issue the birth certificates to those who requested them. How well is the system resourced to ensure we pay only for children who exist? I welcome the fact that the new identity card system which is being put in place will include a photograph and signature of the holder. That is for adults but is there a system in place that allows for payment to be made only for children who exist?