Isn’t anything which effectively exposes and prevents crime a good thing?

For those who cheat the system it will always be a bad idea but for those of us who pay into it and support your cheating it’s a wonderful idea.

Let’s hope it bears great fruit.

I think it is a good idea. Social welfare is an important safety net for those who are in need of it. However, it is demoralizing as a tax payer to see our taxes go to people who are only conning the system.

Yes. People who make fradulent claims are taking money from those who need it most.

Fraud of any kind is bad, but it’s time to change the system completely–it doesn’t work any more. Abolish the dole, and instead give people a basic income through a system of “negative income tax”(ie you get a subsidy from the government if you earn less than a certain amount). People could then work as much as they liked without fear of breaking a “social welfare” rule. There would no longer be poverty traps as it would be in people’s interests to work.

Hands up anyone who has engaged a tradesperson in the last year who wanted to be paid in cash, and “forgot” to give a receipt? That’s where the real fraud is–tax evasion. Not to mention the whole banking debacle of course.

I welcome the idea.
One question – how will this also address cross-border double claiming?

Few other things to do as well as this investigation.
1. People sent to prison should have there dole stopped while they are in there.
2. Legal aid should be reformed. At the moment it’s an ATM for some solicitors.
3. People on disability should be proper vetted and examined.

The 32 who voted “no” so far will be top of he list for investigation… :)

“Targeting the vulnerable” are you having a laugh? Anyone who votes that is obviously guilty.
Whatever the rights or wrongs of the rates etc., fraud is illegal theft and an attack on the state.
The law of the land must be seen to be upheld! Any blind eye turned to dole cheats would be a license to criminals of all kinds to commit their particular crimes. Crime is crime whatever the level of it.

its more than a good idea .

I’m all for catching fraudsters but I cringe when I read about more bureacracy that the tax payer will have to fork out for as there will have to be another ‘dedicated fraud unit’ instituted with staff, office, expenses, etc. How much will that cost us I wonder. Will it be cost effective? Considering it cost HIQA over 1.2 million to carry out their inspections last year, I believe there is a serious concern that we are just creating more government bureacracy at more cost to the taxpayer. (Sorry, I know that’s wrong spelling but can’t remember the right spelling). I also worry about how much legal power this new unit will have as I am getting a bit apprehensive of all these government agencies we now have which seem to have the full power of the law – nearly as much as Gardai. I’m talking about government agencies such as the HSA, HIQA, EHO, etc.

Of course, ridding the Social Welfare system of fraud has to be done.
But a couple of points I would like answers to….

how much of the money saved from introducing these measures will be wasted on bringing in a new Public Service card. (Who won the contract to provide the cards?)

Anyone who has dealings with state agencies, already have a PPS card. How much was wasted on this card if it has not prevented the fraud?

why not make the system for issuing new PPS numbers more thorough? (therefore making it harder for the fraudsters in the 1st place)

How much will the Social Welfare be paying An Post to deal with Social Welfare payments.
(I’ve been told from the end of August, money cannot be transferred into bank accounts but MUST be collected from Post offices around the country, to prevent fraud.)

What I’m most worried about is people being cut off of a SW benefit, because they might be ‘just’ over a qualifying threshold. (which may not take into account, some personal circumstances)

My god there 7.2 million pps active in the country! And the government is repeatedly targeting the health sector for cost saving methods. There are so many people enjoying the dole in this country at the moment its not even funny. I know about 15 people who are blatantly abusing the system and are happy to continue. Can they just introduce a national identity card!!! It makes sense!

I only think it’s a good idea if it’s a thorough and transparent as the crackdown on fraud within the banking system, and as many people are brought to justice as were brought to justice from Anglo Irish Bank, FAS, etc.

How about a poll asking: Is Oireachtas expenses fraud probe a good idea?
Or a poll asking: Should a multi-million euro fraud probe be given the same priority as a social welfare fraud probe?

it can only be a good thing making sure it’s only been used by those who really need it.lets get all the scum who abuse the dole system out of it(irish and non irish) and help the real people who need it ….BUT!!! remember its still an idea of politicians and where theres politicians theres something bound to go wrong with it ….so as great an idea as it is keep your eye out for all the hidden extras that will come along with it.

Attacking fraud of any kind is good, and about time in this country. However how long do we have wait for the fraud of the banking and political system to be tackled, we are talking about a whole lot more then the so called €37 million saved from social welfare fraud? Sometimes I think that these witch hunts are just to distract the publics attention from the lack of action in tackling the real fraudsters in this country

I think it is necessary – I agree so much with John there! Welfare is for these who are REALLY in need of it and by cutting it generally the REAL vulnerable will be targeted as well. So just check and make it really a crime. It is in the UK and Germany the case. It saves loads of money and protects the REAL vulnerable!
Well and another thing – I am on welfare as lone parent of a small child and can not work and support myself totally alone and HATE BEING ON IT! IT is not a lifestyle choice but a SAFETY NET!

All this and “a dedicated social welfare fraud unit later in the year”. They’re really making strides. Whatever will they think of next?

By the way loving the McNamara’s sing at the back of the dole cue. It really sums it up.

Yes – Especially when half the people in the queue are signing on wearing snickers.

YES BIG TIME! Social Welfare fraud has to be tackled and tackled now and in an aggressive manner. It is us, “WORKING” TAX PAYERS who as usual are picking up the tab. PPS Cards should be biometric and have photos on them as well, its a crazy system that there are more PPS numbers out there than people. Any money saved from these thieves could then used to provide services for the decent citizens of this country

While I have every sympathy for those genuinely in need of asylum, and I believe applicants should have been allowed to work pending appeal, I seem to remember reading that asylum seekers are obliged to seek asylum in the country in which they arrive first, which would (should) automatically disqualify an applicant coming from the UK. Confirmation, anyone?

Fraud is fraud. But can we start with the real fraud? The hundreds of billions being handed over to outsiders who gambled and lost? Not the poor who have to do anything to survive.
Why are Labour being the right-wing element of this Government? What happened there?

What’s the difference between ‘maybe’ and “I don’t know”?

It’s theft by another name, so it should not only be pursued, the monies need to be repaid.

This is just a tactic to divide the opinion of people to make it easier for them to cut the dole again in the next budget.

Start with the T Ds

its the employers who need to be targeted, people are being paid as low as 2.50 by employers who pay cash in hand and encourage employees to sign on

Glad the government have their priorities in order. Nice to see they have forgotten about the string of politicians and bankers who have cost this country billions. I wont name their names as my comment will be removed, and rightly so, we need to protect these great men, encourage them to golf in Portugal, and get back to chasing down the unemployed! Damn the poor, why don’t they just die off, Joan has the right idea, and thanks to the likes of her and the IMF we are finally targeting the wretched lower classes. If only we had some means of disposing of them, some sort of labour camp they could be swept into. Then we could all return to our wonderfully functioning economy, our Great Leader Enda, and of course some more polls like this to weed out the other leaches in society. Perhaps next we could go after the special needs and the old, well, thanks to Enda and co. they are already cutting funding to both groups. Wow, isn’t democracy great? Yes To Jobs! Thanks Enda.

Francis, right now we have Fine Gael/Labour doing exactly what Fianna Fail did:-)

It looks like the ‘defrauders’ being caught are primarily made up of people working and claiming at the same time. Paying taxes or not, at least they’re working! Other than qualifying for Back To Work allowance- which I think is gone now, the amount you lose once you become a taxpayer still means you are worse off working part- time than just claiming dole. This is unfair, especially when full time work is not abundant. These are so many that never worked and never intend to, many who fake illness… I’m all for cracking down on defrauders, but let’s look at who we’re hitting

i just hope when there ‘investigating’ they go after all sectors in ireland not just irish people seems this government are euro loving prats they better get real and investigate the non-nationals as well and stick the PC brigade and do-gooders if there serious about taking down fraudsters, also I hope there not using the same people thats investigating the banks or no one will ever be caught

Fraud is theft – period. I don’t care if anyone is vulnerable, if they steal money, they’re criminals and should be fined and forced to repay the stolen money.

Nixers???

The annual budget is €1 Billion A few months back it was claimed there was €4 billion in fraud related to the dole!
We have PPS numbers which can be checked to see if a person is working and all our details are on their systems.

This is just the same fear mongering to push their agenda’s anyone remember the story they released into the papers about to men on the dole turning down a job that even offered a company car that later on was proven to be fake?

Don’t allow them to increase the divide over rich and poor by making it out that everyone on the dole is the bad guy, most people on the dole now are people who lost jobs after working all their lives paying tax for the dole, don’t forget what the government has done in stealing the countries wealth to bailout bankers, developers and big business!

Any fraud against the state is theft from the common (wo)man, and is wrong. Waht is most wrong is that the biggest theft is done by the gombeen men and property thieves who have wrecked our economy. And has a single one been prosecuted ot smelt the inside of the ‘Joy??
So, benefit frauds will have their day in court. So must the big culprits.

Where do you get the rough figure from and can you not distinguish between asylum seekers and immigrants. Most asylum seekers are escaping persecution and are placed into our care which is currently very bureaucratic and denied work permits. If we did not allow any in, the savings would be minimum, not to mention we would break the geneva convention. Immigrants are not escaping from danger but seeking work, study ect, they have to abide by national laws. Some colleges and business’ s depend on immigrants to remain open.
When you hear your friends and neighbours are emigrating do you wish them luck or hope they meet someone similar to you to welcome them in their new country.

How can they call it fraud as the bankers are getting away with defrauding the people.

Liberals believe government should take people’s earnings to give to poor people. Conservatives disagree. They think government should confiscate people’s earnings and give them to farmers and insolvent banks. The compelling issue to both conservatives and liberals is not whether it is legitimate for government to confiscate one’s property to give to another, the debate is over the disposition of the pillage. â

National identity cards is the most worrying part of this story and any other hidden agenda tagged onto these bills. This is just another invalid job for the boys waste of taxpayers money, someone already joked about the fact that they could find Saddam Hussain and Bin Laden hiding in a bunker in the desert, (Remember how big and vast Deserts are) and they can’t pinpoint over 40 or 50 thousand illegals working and claiming the dole in Ireland that’s a joke in its self, if this is an attempt to stop illegal emigrants doing this well and good, some one is pulling your chain saying they already netted millions from this, there isent enough work in Ireland to cover “work and signing on in a hidden underground fashion”, when someone has a job in Ireland they stand out given the jobless sesspit we live in and anyone working and claiming would stand out even more, we don’t live in country with an abundance of jobs, and some people with jobs are claiming as well? this is utter nonsense there was a time when this was rampant not anymore and not in Ireland, in order to believe this you would have to pretend Fianna Fail dident happen to the country.

I personally think that fraud in the dole system must be addressed. And it must start on the border. We have to achieve data integration between our Social Welfare and Revenue departments AND with their counterparts in the North. There are people along the border working in the North, claiming the dole in the South, and vice versa (not to mention double dipping both Social Welfare systems). It’s unfair on those who have a real need of Social Welfare and it means that EVERYONE on Social Welfare is now viewed as being under suspicion. We don’t need to waste money on new ID cards – everyone should have some form of photo ID already and the policy shpould be no ID, no money and 100% enforcement. Those who have no ID should be provided with one FOC or at a nominal charge.
As for refugees and immigrants, my husband is an immigrant (he got sick of me moaning about coming home). Most (but not all) immigrants CONTRIBUTE to our society. I have a huge problem with refugees arriving in Ireland – they should take refuge in the first safe country in which they arrive, anything else is economic migration. Refugees should not be able to pick and choose their country of refuge! WHY are Ireland, the UK, Sweden, Denmark and Norway (wow, that’s a can of worms innit?) full of so called refugees while the countries through which said refugees have passed to arrive there (such as France, Spain, Greece and so forth) not? Because the so called refugees know we have generous systems of which they can take advantage, and they are! The indo reported today on a family of Somali ‘refugees’ who have moved themselves into a £2 million mansion in London at a cost to the British taxpayer of around £2K a month!! And the immigrant council wonder why people are getting a really bad attitude towards our ‘new irish’ brethren.

Is the Pope Catholic?

Asylum seekers are currently not permitted to work due to government decision to stop work permits in 2002, therefore it’s not their fault they are completely dependent on provisions. According to Reception and Integration Agency (RIA), there are approximately 6,350 asylum seekers in the direct provision system, the projected cost of which for 2010 is â