Gerald Nash (Louth, Labour)
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Question 357: To ask the Minister for Social Protection if she has met with the Revenue Commissioners and other relevant State agencies to underline the commitment to combat fraud in the social welfare system; the actions agreed at such meetings; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18518/11]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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I am committed to combating fraud and abuse of the social welfare system, and in this regard, I attended the meeting of the joint high level group of the Department and the Revenue Commissioners in May last. The purpose of the group is to ensure and enhance ongoing collaboration and interaction between the organisations, including in relation to social welfare fraud and tax non-compliance.

Both organisations have highlighted the importance of a focused multi-agency approach to dealing with the hidden economy. In this context, the risk inherent in hidden economy activity has been identified by both the Department and Revenue as being a key corporate priority to be tackled in 2011 and plans have been devised to combat both tax non-compliance and social welfare fraud.

Both organisations work together to combat fraud by using a combination of risk analysis, intelligence collation, assurance checks and outdoor operations including audit and investigation. For certain types of businesses, specific sectoral approaches have been devised.

The Department's Special Investigation Unit conducts a wide range of control activities and projects to investigate social welfare fraud and abuse, some of which are carried out jointly with the Revenue Commissioner and with the National Employment and Rights Authority. This Unit also participates in multi-agency vehicle checkpoints with other agencies, including the Gardaí, Traffic Corps and the Taxi Regulator. This year, the Unit's focus will include the hidden economy, cases of concurrent working and claiming, multiple claiming and personation cases.

I am committed to putting in place a strategic fraud and control plan to ensure a targeted response to high risk sectors and to ensure an integrated approach to the prevention, deterrence and detection of social welfare abuse across the Department's services.