Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
ONLY THE NAMES of individuals convicted of fraud in excess of €5,000 will be published under the new Social Welfare, Pensions and Civil Registration Bill 2017.
The names will be published on a quarterly basis on the Department of Social Protection’s website. The list of names will be removed after three months.
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar (then Social Protection Minister) first announced the publication of the new Social Welfare Bill in May, as part of his well-known ‘Welfare Cheats Cheat Us All’ campaign.
No mention of the extent of the fraud had been included.
A statement from the department to TheJournal.ie today, however, confirmed the change.
Since taking over the ministerial role, Regina Doherty has discussed the content of the Bill with Fianna Fáil and, in light of those discussions, has agreed the government will support an amendment which will provide that only the names of individuals convicted of fraud in excess of €5,000 would be published.
It’s understood the Fianna Fáil amendment was included to ensure that persons who fall under that limit do not have their names published. However, those that fall under the €5,000 limit will still have to repay the money.
The party was concerned that some people could be punished if they were receiving additional payments in error.
Pensions
Also included in the Social Welfare Bill 2017 are provisions related to allowing for more certainty to those on defined benefit pensions.
Employers who offer defined benefit pension schemes will, under this new legislation, be required to give 12 months’ notice if they intend to cease contributions.
When a scheme is in deficit, employers and trustees will be required to enter into discussions to agree a funding proposal before the 12-month period expires.
It also introduces a time limit of six months for trustees of a defined benefit scheme which is in deficit to submit a funding proposal to the Pensions Authority from the date of the actuarial funding certificate.
Thirdly, it gives powers to the Pensions Authority to determine a schedule of contributions that will restore these schemes to an adequate funding positions.
The Bill is due to be published on the 7 July.
Originally posted at 7.30pm
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
If you owe the Government a few euro your in big trouble. But if you owe the Government Millions or even Billions….. No worries!.
And if you’re a Minister and you owe for example the Revenue a few bob you are not in big trouble at all
@Jamie Jj Tobin: Did anyone dare to calculated how much taxes we are loosing on vulture funds activities? Or everyone with access to this data got paid not to ?
@Jamie Jj Tobin: fraud is fraud its not relative to scale
@cortisola: your not losing any on taxes. They pay stamp duty, capital gains tax and if rented also pay tax there too.
@Shawn O’Ceallaghan: You’re wrong. If big and small companies play same game but different rules it is called cheating !!
@Jamie Jj Tobin: 2 wrongs do not make a right
And of course the names of Department of Social Protection staff who make a mistake and overpay any individuals will also be published in the interest of fairness … isn’t that right Leo and Regina
@Con ODomhnaill: you think the claimants published made a mistake in overclaiming??
@Con ODomhnaill: How dare to criticise Leo? It’s racist and homophobic !!
@James Gorman: It turns out that the “fraud” figures being bandied about by Varadkar (go get him elected) included mistakes made by his own (then) department running into many millions of Euro. The true cost of welfare fraud was miniscule, certainly a tiny fraction of white collar fraud
@Con ODomhnaill: that supposed to be an answer to my question??
@Con ODomhnaill: Con taxes and debt and naming is only for the serfs that work their bullocks off pay marginal tax at 58% ,get a grip man and leave poor Regina alone ….cause she will sue your ass off…with your own money HA HA HA Rotton Ol Republkic….
@James Gorman generally anyone claiming is doing it in a welfare office with a civil servant guiding them through the form and entitlements.
@Martin Critten: Martin it doesn’t mean that the civil servant is responsible for deliberate omissions by the applicant and that is what your reply hints at
They always play us off each other, this is to draw attention away from the millions our councils, governments, big business Rob from us. Tackling that would be much better.
@:
Going after welfare fraud is not playing us off against each other. If people are stealing money from the fund I and others contribute to with our tax then I want the caught.
And every teacher who has been giving grinds for cash and every garda who has been doing bouncer work for cash for decades
Easy to crack the whip on the poor and vulnerable when they can’t answer back. Says a lot about the dysfunctional state of the economy when so many have to claim some form of support. It’s an indication of the cost of living too high combined with poor paying jobs. Heaven forbid we blame the gov for this when they allow vulture funds and the wealthy to manipulate the cost of living!
If you owe the government hundreds of euro they take you to court, if you owe them millions, they take you to dinner.
Leo has no b&lls .. all socks and PR … I do hope I am proved wrong. Bertie without the backbone is my assessment
@lavbeer: Bertie was a slither. He had no back bone as he was able to slither his way out of any pointed finger at him. No bank account? That’s bravery is it?
@lavbeer: “Leo has no b&lls” – In fairness he never declared to have some.
@lavbeer: you were going well til you mentioned Bertie ffs
Amazing how upset people are that there is a crackdown on welfare fraud. Must be more people double-dipping into the taxpayer’s pocket than we first thought!
@alphanautica: It is rather anger seeing Big Boys stealing millions while you are chased for few hundreds. Pretty simple to understand.
Great news! How soon can we see those in receipt of unvouched expenses listed?
@Jarlath Murphy: Whenever that become a crime.
What a joke. These are thieves that steal from the state. It’s one of the worst crimes when you think of the amount of pre-planning and thought that goes into it. Their names should not only be published they should be locked up.
@Fred Jensen: You are 100% correct, white collar criminals should be locked up for a very very long time
@Fred Jensen: Vulture funds earning millions and paying no taxes in Ireland are not interesting for Leo? Is he scared of them?
@cortisola: they are working within the confines of our laws so I don’t think leo can invent a crime to prosecute them for.
Fred your right the amount of pre planning and subterfuge shows pre meditation and determination to gain advantage at the expense of the many! It is even suggested by some cynics that many of these culprits engage the services of professional accountants to “cover their tracks!” They have their own terminology, speaking of Tax avoidance rather than tax evasion! and there is some evidence that tax policy is deliberately distorted to ensure loopholes are available to facilitate their nefarious activities! I personally find it difficult to believe, given the economic situation when medical cards were removed from Down Syndrome children and they were being asked to confirm whether they still had the condition that someone would wilfully facilitate the underpayment of tax! Then I heard some finance minister refuse to accept billions in taxes from Apple!
Genuine question.. how much money is actually defrauded in this way per annum?
@John Madden: Would be interesting to see compare to taxes avoided by vulture founds like Ires Reit.
@John Madden: how can anyone know for sure but I don’t want my taxes paying for someone snaking it.
@John Madden: Genuine Answer – Journal.ie estimate €82 million is defrauded each year from the State.
Here – they fact checked it.
http://www.thejournal.ie/fact-check-leo-varadkar-welfare-cheats-3404165-Jun2017/
@Brinster: thank you B
@cortisola:
Although Ires do not pay tax, money which investors take out of Ires is liable to tax. It is set this way to encourage people to invest otherwise the rental income would have been taxed twice. I am not saying I agree with this but just trying to put some balance on the argument
Curious. Will the wealthy greedy Irish royalty who enable, encourage and facilitate SW fraud be punished or will the usual Exemptions apply.
Leo should check the councils for fraud and their cover up’s
It’s not hard to spot the cheats and scroungers on here, they’re the ones who bring up the banks, expenses for tds etc on every story. But but but
FG do not bite the hands that feed them.. Just the little guy is chased down by the blouseshirts..
What about all those who have no permanent address and whose name could be common or foreign…they will still be practically anonymous.
And can we have the names of companies or business that have not completely declared their taxes too revenue ?
@WynnnerZ:
Companies caught evading tax already have their names published
Regina’s addendum is they will also have their hair shaved and be made carry a sign round their neck with “I was ratted for Leo” and made walk up and down town from 8am-6pm Mon – Fri for the 3mths, people will be encouraged to point,mock, shout “shame shame shame” and throw the rubbish that they can’t afford to put in their bins – Game of Thrones has nothing on FG filth.
Good its about time.
until they make a balls up and some innocent person sues for deformation of charachter .state is sued . it ends
Be a man leo and go after your white collar crime buddies ,not stake your reputation on going after the most vulnerable and the lest able to defend themselves ,you are in one word pathetic ,its time you started wearing a skirt
Anthony Gallagher. He does just not in public.
@Anthony Gallagher: it’s not tit for tat, they can go after both.
Corrupt corporate governance dictatorship
Names removed after 3 months? Should only be removed after all money is paid back
I have already been charged pay by weight by Greyhound bin collection so where do I go to report this
@Liz Greer: start with your local Cllrs, TD’s and Minister Dooley then start a local group and have chat to local community groups who might already have something happening – hit the local politicians with your issue/anger making it very clear that there’s an election coming up (very soon!) and that you will be making this a red line issue when it comes to who you “give” your vote to, then keep the pressure on because this is not the last increase you’re going to be hit with!
If I could find a way to even get social welfare I would steal as much as I could. Sadly I was a public servant and we don ‘t get nothing. We paid but we git sweet FA.
@Brendan Keegan:
Job security, holidays, pension
Bring on the revolution. I’m sick to the teeth of this Thatcherite nonsense.
@Mark DeFriest:
Bring on the revolution because the government want to stop people stealing money. Idiot!
@Nick Allen: Yes Nick, bring on the revolution. Because the government want to go after those called “the f***inf dregs” in society.Yet turn a blind eye to white collar crime that costs a lot more than the “f***ing dregs” ever will.
@Nick Allen: Nick Allen, another Blueshirt Framproom cheerleader. Like all good Blueshirts whinges about fraud, turns a blind eye when one of his heroes is involved. Mention Michael Noonan, Nick Allen and his ilk will tell you “he saved the country”.
1000 weeks at a fiver a week then lol.
Another failed policy of FG time would be better spent making the welfare system fraud proof and securing more convictions rather than this idea of a naughty list as a deterrent nothing compares to jail time.
This government lacks the imagination to make the system better it’s widely abused but that’s ok Leo has his socks pulled up so it’s grand.
FG are enabling the mass pillaging of the entire population thru their love affair with vulture funds and international finance…… And they making a big deal about peanuts.. What a joke.
Phew
have your say