Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick, Fine Gael)
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Question 263: To ask the Minister for Social Protection the number of social welfare inspectors dealing solely with social welfare fraud specifically. [11442/11]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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The Department currently employs 406 Social Welfare Inspectors, 319 of whom are assigned to general inspection work and 87 of whom are assigned to the Department's Special Investigation Unit (SIU).

The role of the 319 general Inspectors includes the investigation of entitlement to the Department's means-tested schemes (except supplementary welfare allowance); responsibility for ensuring that employers comply with the legislation governing PRSI contributions; and for investigating insurability of employment cases. In addition to these duties, the remit includes the combating of fraud and abuse of the Department's schemes.

The Department 87 Inspectors in the SIU work full-time to combat fraud and abuse on Departmental schemes. They also undertake employer inspections to ensure compliance with PRSI obligations. In 1986, a Joint Inspection Unit (JIU) was established, drawn from inspectors in SIU and the Office of the Revenue Commissioners. This co-ordinated approach, combining the powers of both agencies, monitors compliance with both the PRSI and taxation systems.

The role of the inspector involves calling to private homes to establish whether a customer who is making an initial claim has an entitlement to payment or whether an existing customer continues to satisfy eligibility conditions. They also call to places of employment to ensure that there is no abuse of the Department's schemes and that the employer is fulfilling his obligations under social welfare legislation.

All staff working in the area of scheme administration have a role to play in combating fraud by ensuring that only genuine claims are put into payment and that customers continue to fulfil the statutory conditions of the scheme involved.