Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Question 349: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if her attention has been drawn to instances where people claim child benefit where neither child for whom the benefit is being claimed nor either parent is resident here; if this practice is widespread; the steps she has taken to eliminate this practice; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26124/09]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, 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. All Child Benefit claims require a minimum level of information and documentation to be provided and verified before being awarded. The amount of information and documentation required varies depending on the customer circumstances, for instance the child's place of birth.

Given the significant changes in the Child Benefit customer base and in the value of Child Benefit payments, the control policy for the child benefit scheme has been reviewed to ensure that controls against fraud and abuse of the schemes continue to be effective and relevant. As a result of enhanced and updated control measures have been devised, including the automated issue of forms (certificates) to certain selected groups of customers, for completion and return to the Department to confirm that they continue to satisfy the conditions for receipt of Child Benefit.

In the case of non-Irish national recipients who are resident in Ireland with their children, certification that the children continue to reside here is required — the proof of such residence can be provided via details of the school or college their child attends or, if the child is not of school-going age, details of the doctor or crèche they attend. This information is used to verify that the children are resident in Ireland.

With regard to EU nationals who are working in Ireland but who have qualified children living in another EU state and are entitled to Irish family benefits under EU law, certification by their employer of continuing employment is requested. The certification letters currently issue on a three monthly basis. Where the required certification is not provided within the timescale requested, 21 days, the payment of Child Benefit is suspended pending further enquiry and ultimately terminated if confirmation of continued entitlement is not forthcoming. A fraud and error strategy is also in place for dealing with returned forms.

In 2008 a total of 87,850 reviews were completed, 92% of target. As a result of reviews undertaken, 5141 Child Benefit claims were terminated resulting in savings of some €47m to the Department. To date in 2009 a total of 88,217 reviews have been undertaken. It is intended to complete in excess of 150,000 reviews in the full year.

Brian Hayes (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 351: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if the investigation launched by her into allegations of subsidy fraud under the school meals programme has been concluded; the outcome of this investigation; the amount of fraud uncovered by the investigation; the number of companies involved; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26219/09]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The school meals programme gives funding towards the provision of food services for disadvantaged school children through two schemes. The first is the statutory urban school meals scheme, operated by local authorities and part-financed by the Department of Social and Family Affairs. The second is the school meals local projects scheme through which funding is provided directly by the Department to participating schools and local and voluntary community groups who run their own school meals projects.

The Department has received one allegation in relation to the operation of the School Meals programme and this allegation is currently being investigated. The Department does not comment on individual allegations of fraud or abuse until there has been a successful prosecution in the courts.