THE MINISTER FOR Social Protection Joan Burton has said that her department will focus on policing the hidden economy where social welfare fraud and abuse are prevalent.

Burton met with a group of “high-level” officials from the Department of Social Protection and the Office of the Revenue Commissioners today and laid out plans to tackle tax non-compliance and social welfare fraud.

She said she was committed to putting in place a plan that would see strategic response to sectors where such problems were prevalent as well as ensure an integrated approach across her department’s services.

The minister said that a key corporate priority of this year was to tackle the risk that is inherent in hidden economy activity.

She said:

Policing what is conventionally viewed as hidden economy activity is as much about ensuring a level playing field for compliant businesses as it is about detecting tax non-compliance and social welfare fraud.

Burton added that so-called Joint Investigation Units (JIUs) between the Revenue Commissioners, her department and the National Employment Rights Authority would play a key role in targeting such hidden economy activity.