Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I do not propose to accept the amendment. The proposal is that 20 serving gardaí would be recruited into the Department of Social Protection to assist with a better emphasis on fraud detection and, where the fraud is significant, prosecution. That is a very important element of saving money for the Department. I mentioned earlier that last year the Department recovered over €70 million in overpayments, the vast bulk of which arose from fraud. I would like that to continue. The seconded gardaí will be issued with a certificate of secondment, which will clearly identify that they are appointed to work with the Department. The certificate will include a photograph of the person concerned. As a matter of practice, departmental investigators from the Department of Social Protection identify themselves and produce their certificates of appointments to all the persons with whom they deal.
The change in the Bill to remove the phrase "in uniform" is being made first to achieve consistency in social welfare legislation between section 250(16) of the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005, which requires a social welfare inspector to be accompanied by a uniformed member of the Garda Síochána. While section 250(16)(b) also requires a social welfare inspector to be accompanied by an member of the Garda Síochána, it does not have an "in uniform" condition. The change to the Bill would allow gardaí seconded to the Department to accompany social welfare inspectors carrying out activities under section 250(16) without the requirement to wear a uniform.