Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)
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Question 369: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the new debt management strategy promised by his Department to control overpayments and avoid future write-offs; and when his Department proposes to adopt it. [23929/07]

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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The overall goal of my Department's Debt Management Strategy is to actively pursue the recovery of debt to maximise recovery levels, with due regard to value for money and with particular emphasis on recovery from people no longer dependant on welfare payments. The objectives of the strategy are

To maximise the recovery of overpayments

To efficiently record, report and monitor the occurrence and recovery of overpayments

To fulfil statutory, accounting and reporting obligations

To conduct overpayment and debt management as efficiently as possible

One of the key elements to the strategy is the introduction of the Overpayment and Debt Management (ODM) computer system which will record all overpayments and debt recovery data and will allow for timely and efficient management of debt. The new ODM system is now in operation in a number of areas in the Department and is being rolled out on a phased basis to all other sections. It is expected that all areas will be using the new system by the second quarter of 2008.

The debt management strategy will be achieved by the introduction of a strengthened policy on overpayments and debt management in the Department and by making the organisational and procedural changes necessary to achieve this.