Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael)
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Question 80: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if she is satisfied with the method of recording and calculating fraud control savings; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8963/10]

Tom Hayes (Tipperary South, Fine Gael)
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Question 95: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the position regarding fraud control measures put in place by her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8975/10]

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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Question 118: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the discussions she has had in the past 12 months with the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform or An Gardaí Síochána on the sharing of information to combat social welfare fraud; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8674/10]

Olwyn Enright (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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Question 333: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if she is satisfied with the method of recording and calculating fraud control savings; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9237/10]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 80, 95, 118 and 333 together.

The prevention of fraud and abuse of the social welfare system is an integral part of the day-to-day work of the Department. A key objective of the Department's control strategy is to ensure that the right person is paid the right amount of money at the right time.

In relation to savings in 2009 the Department recorded control savings of nearly €484m. It must be noted that control activity was being focused on prevention of fraud and error at claim application stage. Savings made from the detection of bogus claims at application stage cannot be esti mated as the claim will not go into payment. However, this is the most cost effective mechanism of reducing losses through fraud and error in social welfare schemes.

Control savings are calculated by applying validated multipliers to the difference in the rate of payment before and after the control activity.

Multipliers used in assessing control savings estimate the total future savings to the Department of a revocation or reduction resulting from a control action. The multiplier used is based on the average amount of time the person who signs off will remain off the books before returning. This time varies from scheme to scheme.

Where overpayments occur the Department seeks to recover the overpayments and in cases of serious fraud, the Department will use all legal avenues open to it to recover the money defrauded and seek redress.

Fraud detection systems have also been improved through data matches with organisations such as the Revenue Commissioners on commencement of employment data, the General Registrars Office on Marriages and Deaths information, and many other organisations including the Departments of Justice, Environment, Education and other state bodies. In addition, a data matching programme is now in place to ensure that relevant information available in one area of the Department is applied to all schemes.

The recent Budget also includes funding of €7 million to allow the roll out of the new Public Service Card to commence. The card will contain a photograph and signature and will help to combat fraud.

Furthermore the number of anonymous reports from members of the public has increased dramatically in the past year, with over 6,400 reports made at end 2009 compared to approximately 1000 reports made in 2008. Each report is followed-up and savings are included in the savings reported within the individual scheme areas.

The Department of Social and Family Affairs has an extensive legal structure to support the sharing of data with other Government Departments and specified bodies such as An Garda Síochana and the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform for the purpose of combating social welfare fraud. Data matching is used as a method of identifying high risk social welfare claims for review.

The main example of on-going co-operation with the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform is data matching with the Irish Prison Service who supply the Department with lists of prison inmates on a quarterly basis. The lists are cross-checked to identify "live" social welfare claims. In such cases, the claim is terminated where it is established that the claimant is the person who is in prison. A number of DSFA social welfare inspectors are seconded to the Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB) and the Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB). The officers in CAB are actively engaged in identifying and targeting funds accumulated by criminals. They also investigate and review social welfare entitlements of persons who are suspected of deriving assets from criminal activity.

The DSFA social welfare inspectors seconded on a permanent basis to the Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB) assist in the pursuit of the respective statutory remits with a particular emphasis on welfare fraud and breaches of immigration legislation.

There is close co-operation between DSFA and An Garda Síochana on the ground in relation to the multi-agency vehicle checkpoints and personation cases. The multi-agency checkpoints are set-up by the gardai and planned in consultation with other participating agencies. At the checkpoints, Gardai stop vehicles and refer certain vehicles to individual agencies where the occupants are interviewed. Staff participating in these checkpoints from the Department are drawn from the Special Investigation Unit, whose main duty is the detection and prevention of fraud and abuse of the social welfare system.

Cases of personation are referred by DSFA to the Gardai for follow-up investigation and possible prosecution.

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.