Joe Carey (Clare, Fine Gael)
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Question 307: To ask the Minister for Social Protection if he will respond to correspondence (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29036/12]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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A key priority for my Department is to ensure that fraudulent activity within the social welfare system is vigorously prevented and combated. Social welfare fraud undermines public confidence in the entire system as well as being unfair to other recipients of social welfare payments, taxpayers and businesses run on a legitimate basis. My Department is very conscious of its obligation to protect public money and is determined to ensure that abuse of the system is prevented and dealt with effectively when detected. Fraud detection measures have increased and improved significantly over the last number of years and will continue to be reviewed to prioritise resources at achieving results.

While I note the contents of the letter associated with the Deputy's Question, outsourcing of the investigation function is not envisaged at the moment. Investigators in the Department work closely with Revenue staff in the Joint Investigation Unit, with NERA, the Gardaí and other compliance and enforcement agencies in the context of preventing welfare fraud. An investigator from my Department will be following up the details contained in the letter referred to.

The Department's control policy aims to minimise fraud and abuse of the social welfare system. As part of this policy, the Department accepts reports of possible fraud offered by members of the public in relation to the Department's schemes. All reports are followed up and are dealt with in confidence. Members of the public are asked to provide as much detail about the case they are reporting as possible and, they can do so anonymously. Reports can be made as follows:

· By email: www.welfare.ie

· By phone: Locall: 1890 927999 (071) 9672648 or (01) 6732123

· By Post: Central Control Division, DSP, Shannon Lodge, Carrick-on-Shannon, Co Leitrim.