Brian O'Shea (Waterford, Labour)
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Question 318: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs her plans regarding the quarterly certification of all children that continue to reside here; if the cost of implementing this certification has been estimated; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45395/09]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The Child Benefit scheme has, in recent years, experienced significant expansion in the volume of claims received, the rates of payment and the diversity of the customer base. The annual cost in 2008 was approx. €2.46 billion and the payment issues now for children of some 190 nationalities living in Ireland. Against this background, the control policy for the child benefit scheme has been reviewed to ensure that controls against fraud and abuse of the scheme continue to be effective and relevant. As a result of the review, enhanced and updated control measures have been devised. These include the issue, on a quarterly basis, of certificates to 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, and for no other purpose.

In the case of EU nationals who are working in Ireland but who have qualified children living in another EU state, certification by their employer of continuing employment is requested. This review process has initially focused on higher-risk categories of customer and will be expanded to include other customer groups in the future. Customers selected for the reviews have to date been selected largely from non-Irish nationals in receipt of Child Benefit, both those with children resident in Ireland and those working here whose children are resident outside of Ireland.

In 2008 a total of 87,850 reviews were completed. In 2009 a total of 178,410 residency reviews and 70,772 employment reviews have been undertaken. The cost is an estimated €1 per transaction – including a postage-paid envelope for the customer's reply. Savings in 2008 arising from the issue of the certificates were just under €27m. In 2009 to date, savings are €56m and are expected to be in the region of €60m by the end of the year. The Joint Committee on Social & Family Affairs Welfare Fraud report in September 2009 welcomed the introduction of the revised and more frequent residency and employment certification and was encouraged by the savings made so far as a result of these changes.