Joe McHugh (Donegal North East, Fine Gael)
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Question 117: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs when she will roll out the appointment of social welfare inspectors to investigate and prevent fraud; the measures she has introduced in the past few months to combat welfare fraud in Border areas; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19479/09]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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Having regard to the increase in the Live Register, and consequent demands being made on the resources of the Social Welfare Inspectorate, I sought and received approval for 16 additional assignments to the grade of Social Welfare Inspector. These 16 Inspectors are to be assigned on the basis of 2 per Region. 14 officers are now in situ in the following locations; Finglas x 2, Tallaght, Clondalkin, Drogheda, Enniscorthy, Carlow, Tralee, Galway, Castlebar, Tullamore, Limerick, Buncrana, and Letterkenny. This increases the number of general inspectors to 376. The remaining 2 Inspectors will be located at Cork and Mullingar and these assignments are being actively pursued at this time. In addition, the Department has a further 87 inspectors working full-time on control in the Special Investigation Unit (SIU).

The issue of cross Border fraud is the primary focus for control activity for Regions in close proximity to the Border areas.This targeted approach to the control focus is twofold prevention and detection. In the first instance, preventative measures have been put in place to deal with all claims from persons who on registering as unemployed indicate that they were formerly resident in Northern Ireland. A revised and more rigorous set of checks and balances have been initiated at claim registration for all such cases. These cases will be thoroughly investigated through home visits and clear proof of residency must be established by the individual concerned.

With regard to detection and deterrence, since late 2008 the Department participates in multi-agency vehicle checkpoints with other agencies, including the Gardaí, Traffic Corps and Revenue Commissioners. Each agency has specific control and compliance briefs. In Border areas, individuals who may be non-resident and claiming Social Welfare payments have been identified. In the case of Revenue this principally relates to evasion of Vehicle Registration Tax, and the Gardaí have identified road traffic offences. The approach facilitates a platform whereby all agencies can maximize the benefits and comprehensively identify individuals engaged in either vehicle tax evasion, road traffic irregularities and cross Border social welfare fraud in one concentrated location. The other agencies involved are fully aware of the priority and importance accorded by DSFA to cross Border claiming and it forms an integral part of this combined operation.