Brian Hayes (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 268: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the number of cases of fraud detected in relation to claiming of the rent supplement scheme in 2007; if prosecutions were made in these cases and money recovered; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7696/08]

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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Rent Supplement is administered on my behalf by the community welfare service of the Health Service Executive (HSE), as part of the supplementary welfare allowance scheme.

Where the HSE becomes aware that a person receiving a supplementary allowance is not entitled to that allowance, the payment may be stopped and an overpayment may be raised. Any overpayment of allowance incurred in circumstances of this kind may be recoverable from the recipient. It is a matter for a Community Welfare Officer (CWO) of the HSE to determine if an overpayment should be raised and recovered, taking into account all of the circumstances of each particular case. Where an overpayment is deemed to be recoverable, a CWO will make appropriate arrangements with the tenant for recovery of the overpayment.

Provisional figures indicate that the number of supplementary welfare allowance overpayment cases identified for 2007 was 1454 at an estimated value of €2.38m. There is currently no breakdown available for cases of fraud or suspected fraud and overpayments arising for other reasons.

The HSE has statutory power to initiate legal proceedings against individuals alleged to have fraudulently claimed supplementary welfare allowance payments. In practice, very few such prosecutions have been brought against persons alleged to have carried out fraud on supplementary welfare and/or rent supplement claims.