Joe Costello (Dublin Central, Labour)
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Question 170: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the work in his Department to reduce overpayments and fraud; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5253/08]

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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The prevention of fraud and abuse of the social welfare system is an integral part of the day-to-day work of the Department. A key objective of the Department's control strategy is to ensure that we pay the right person the right amount of money at the right time. Over 600 staff at local, regional and national level are engaged on a full or part-time basis on work related to the control of fraud and abuse of the social welfare system. A four pronged approach has been adopted by the Department to meet this objective, namely prevention of fraud and error at the initial claim stage, early detection through effective review of claims in payment, measures to deter fraud and the pursuit and recovery of overpayments.

Systematic risk analysis is a key element of the Department's control strategy. This entails the identification, by scheme managers, of areas of high risk of fraud and abuse in the schemes for which they are responsible and putting in place appropriate measures to address them in a systematic way. The purpose of this approach is to ensure that review activity is targeted in the most effective manner. The Department carries out surveys of the levels of fraud and error as part of its control strategy to identify the types of claims which should be prioritised for review purposes. Controls are exercised at both the initial claim stage and at subsequent stages during the claim life-cycle. Claims are reviewed on a regular and targeted basis. During 2007, some 345,000 reviews of entitlements were carried out by staff in the Department. The records of some 4,760 employers were inspected to ensure compliance with the Department's regulations and in particular to prevent and detect abuses of the system.

The Department has a dedicated section dealing with identity fraud in PPS No. allocations. The staff in this section receives training in the area of document fraud from a number of sources, including the relevant issuing authorities, via their embassies, and from the Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB). This section operates a full time help desk facility for front line staff and provides training and support to them in dealing with document fraud issues. I am committed to ensuring that social welfare payments are available to those who are entitled to them. I am also determined to ensure that abuse of the system is prevented and is dealt with effectively when detected. In this regard the control programme of the Department is carefully monitored and the various measures are continuously refined to ensure that they remain effective.