Olwyn Enright (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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Question 657: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the number of staff employed by her who deal with fraud control; the number of staff who have been assigned away from fraud control to other work within her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29907/09]

Olwyn Enright (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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Question 658: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the target fraud control savings per social welfare payment per year since 2004 to date in 2009; the fraud control savings achieved per social welfare payment per year since 2004 to date in 2009; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29908/09]

Olwyn Enright (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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Question 659: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the target fraud control reviews per social welfare payment per year since 2004 to date in 2009; the fraud control reviews achieved per social welfare payment per year since 2004 to date in 2009; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29909/09]

Olwyn Enright (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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Question 660: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the amount of money she expects to save through anti-fraud initiatives in 2009; the amount of money saved to date; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29910/09]

Olwyn Enright (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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Question 661: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the number of people prosecuted in respect of social welfare fraud since 2004 to date in 2009 in each payment area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29911/09]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 657 to 661, inclusive, together.

Approximately 620 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. About half of these work full time on control work, while the other half are responsible for routine investigations under the various schemes and for following up suspected cases of fraud where these are discovered. None of these staff are currently deployed to other work.

Traditionally it was estimated that 60% of the General Inspectors time was spent on undertaking control activity, including reviews and employer inspection work with the balance of Inspector's time devoted to new claim activity. This activity may also be regarded within the control framework. It includes identity checks, means investigations, and ensuring compliance with the various qualification conditions. However, it should be noted that due to increasing claim loads the actual resources available for control activity has reduced.

The Department is committed to ensuring that social welfare payments are available to those who are entitled to them. 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.

The Department has a target of over €600m for control savings in 2009.

Savings figures and review data for the first six months of the year will be available shortly and I will send them to the Deputy directly.

The control savings targets and actual savings achieved for 2004 to 20 08 are set-down in tabular statements.

The control review targets and actual reviews achieved for 2004 to 2008 are set-down in tabular statements.

The results of cases finalised in court for years 2004 to 2009 (end-June) are set-down in tabular statements.

The Department has a target of over €600m for control savings in 2009. Savings recorded to the end of May 2009 amounted to approximately €194m.

The control savings targets and actual savings achieved for 2004 to 2009 (end-May) are set-down in tabular statements).

The control review targets and actual reviews achieved for 2004 to 2009 (end-May) are set-down in tabular statements.

The results of cases finalised in court for years 2004 to 2009 (end-June) are set-down in tabular statements. Control Savings

Control Reviews

Unemployment Assistance was renamed Jobseeker's Allowance in Oct 2006. Unemployment Benefit was renamed Jobseeker's Benefit in Oct 2006.