€67m overpaid to social welfare recipients in 2002 and 2003
The Department of Social and Family Affairs has reportedly overpaid more than €67m to social welfare recipients over the past two years.
Reports this morning said documents released under the Freedom of Information Act showed that the money was paid out in more than 82,000 separate cases in 2002 and 2003.
Just over €32m of the sum was subsequently recovered by the department, but a further €16.7m had to be written off as irretrievable and the remainder is still being pursued.
The overpayments reportedly arose as a result of fraud, errors and misinformation.
