Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 337: To ask the Minister for Social Protection the extent, if any, to which cross referencing exists with the Revenue Commissioners to deter the possibility of persons in full time employment receiving a social welfare payment to which they are not entitled; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15616/11]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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The Department has a broad-ranging and comprehensive control strategy. The emphasis is to minimise risks of fraud and eliminate incorrect payments. Ensuring that the right person is paid the right amount of money at the right time is an integral part of the day-to-day work of the Department.

The Department has in the last number of years been engaged in data matching with other Government Departments and public bodies for control purposes. Data matching is viewed as a very efficient and effective mechanism to target control–related activity. Since 1997, the Department matches Revenue Commencement of Employment data against jobseekers data held by the Department on a monthly basis. Where matches exist employers are contacted and based on the information received from employers possible overlaps are identified and are referred for investigation.

In 2010 1,221,734 records of commencement of employment were received from the Revenue Commissioners and 74,961 were matched with data held by the Department.