Denis Naughten (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Independent)
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To ask the Minister for Social Protection the control savings and reviews recorded on child benefit in each of the past five years; the overpayments sought each year, and the repayments to date; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51567/12]

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Independent)
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To ask the Minister for Social Protection the number of quarterly child benefit review forms issued in 2011 and to date in 2012; if these form part of the control review process; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51568/12]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 414 and 415 together.

As part of the child benefit control programme the Department commenced issuing continuing eligibility certificates to parents in 2008. In the first instance these were issued to non-Irish nationals as these had been identified in an earlier fraud and error survey as posing a greater risk. Certificates continue to issue to these customers every six months. The results of the programme are shown in the table below, with this customer group marked as certificate 1 and certificate 1 savings.

The control policy for the child benefit scheme was reviewed in 2010 to ensure that controls on fraud and abuse of the scheme continue to be effective and relevant. As a result of this review, enhanced and updated control measures have been devised, which include the automated issue of forms (certificates) to other sub-sets of selected groups of customers for completion to confirm they continue to satisfy the conditions for receipt of Child Benefit. This accounts for the additional numbers of certificates issued in 2010 and subsequent years as the control programme has been extended to all child benefit customers.

Table 1. Number of certificates issued and value of savings returned from 2008.

Table 2. The number and value of child benefit overpayments for the period 2007 to date