Dole fraud down by £214m
The Department of Social Welfare continues to close the net on dole fraud with another IR£214m saved due to enhanced fraud detection.
However, the scale of dole fraud is sill worrying the minister in charge Dermot Ahern, despite an extra £24m saving on the previous year. He says that most welfare recipients are genuine cases, but there are still enough successful fraudulent claims to swindle the State out of tens of millions of pounds.
Prosecutions have resulted in nine imprisonments, 23 suspended sentences and 120 people have been fined.
The message accompanying these figures, from Social Welfare authorities is clear. Try to rob the taxpayer and you will be caught and be forced to pay a far higher price than that which is being taken from the State.
