John Paul O'Shea (Cork North-West, Fine Gael)
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563. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the total amount of social welfare overpayments identified by his Department for each of the years 2014 to 2024; the amount that has been recouped to date, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32349/25]

John Paul O'Shea (Cork North-West, Fine Gael)
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564. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of individuals who received an overpayment from his Department for each of the years 2014 to 2024, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32350/25]

John Paul O'Shea (Cork North-West, Fine Gael)
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565. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of individuals identified by his Department who have received an overpayment in excess of €50,000 in each of the years 2014 to 2024, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32351/25]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 563, 564 and 565 together.

Overpayments of social welfare entitlements can occur where a person provides false or misleading information in their application or through error on the part of either the claimant or the Department. Persons who have been overpaid social welfare have a liability to refund the overpayment as they have been in receipt of a payment to which they were not entitled.

Where an overpayment occurs, the Department seeks to recover the full value by deducting up to 15% of the personal rate from on-going Social Welfare payments or by direct payment from the customer where a social welfare payment is no longer in place. Where a customer is in employment and does not engage in agreeing a repayment plan, the Department will consider making an attachment of earnings order. The Department will work with the customer and consider personal circumstances in determining a repayment plan.

The table below sets out the number of individuals with overpayments raised, the number with overpayments over €50,000, the total value of the overpayments, and the amount recovered for each of the years 2014 to 2023. (2024 figures are currently being audited).

Due to changes in my Department's debt reporting environment, information in respect of number of individuals and number with debts over €50,000 is only available from 2018.

** The increase of almost 10,000 overpayments in 2023 resulted from increased review activity after COVID restrictions. 83,000 more reviews were carried out in 2023.

I trust that this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.