Two Gardaí assigned to Dundalk to help crack down on social welfare fraud

Two Gardaí this week began working undercover in Dundalk alongside the Special Investigations Unit of the Department of Social Protection to help crack down on welfare cheats.

They are two of 20 around the country who will investigate allegations and initiate investigations into social welfare fraud whereby people are claiming benefits such as the dole under false pretenses.

The secondment of the 20 Gardaí is for a period of 12 months, subject to review. They have been appointed with powers under the Social Welfare Acts which permit them to work with officers from the Department’s Special Investigation Unit.

The Gardaí will work closely with other compliance and fraud investigation agencies to ensure that social welfare abuse is comprehensively deterred and detected. This interagency activity is a key element to assist in fraud investigation and the shadow/hidden economy will be a key priority for joint investigations. They will be involved in preparing and collating suitable evidence to enable a deciding officer to review an entitlement to social welfare payment and to use, in certain circumstances, in legal proceedings.

In serious cases of identity fraud or multiple claiming of allowances the Gardaí assigned to the Department will be actively engaged in the detection and prosecution of these

The unit is said to have generated fraud and control savings of €64.5 million to date this year, of which €23 million is recoverable overpayments.

Garda Commissioner, Nóirín O’Sullivan said: “This initiative will help combat social welfare fraud, and highlights the skills, knowledge and experience Gardaí bring to tackling such issues. It also demonstrates how An Garda Síochána works in close co-operation with other State agencies for the benefit of the country and its people.”

Plain clothes gardaí sought to crack down on social welfare fraud in Dundalk

Applications are being sought from gardaí in a number of locations around the country, including Dundalk, to work undercover alongside the Special Investigations Unit to help crack down on welfare cheats.

The Department of Social Protection is looking for 40 officers from around to country to help tackle the problem of fraudsters ripping off the State.

The officers – some of whom will be based in Dundalk – will be targetting social welfare fraudsters, who cost the State millions each year.

Applications are being sought in Dundalk, Dublin, Longford, Monaghan, Letterkenny, Navan, Galway, Sligo, Cork and Limerick.

A Department of Social Protection spokeswoman told The Irish Mirror that while there were currently no gardaí assigned to the trial, the department “worked very closely” with officers on checkpoints and other operations.

Checks have been taking place at airports and ports since 2012 as part of a bid to stop welfare tourists collecting benefits to which they are no longer entitled.

The scheme has seen the authorities discover just under 130 cases during the past 18 months.

Last December, Minister Joan Burton said these efforts had already saved the State around €1.35million.

Last year gardaí were much more visible around the local dole office and questioned many people as they came and went before and after collecting benefits.

Figures released late last year showed there had been a dramatic increase in anonymous tip-offs over suspected benefit fraud, with more than 21,000 reports in 2013.

The increase – up from just 1,044 during 2008 – highlighted the extent of the cultural shift towards the fraud problem during recent years.

The majority of reports related to people allegedly working while claiming benefits – some 8,350.

Others were concerned with allegations that people claiming lone parent benefit were cohabiting with partners and that people living outside Ireland were receiving other payments.

Source: Gardaí launch major crackdown on social welfare cheats (Irish Daily Mirror)