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GARDAÍ ARE SITTING in on some interviews with people claiming social welfare as part of efforts to root out potential overpayments or fraud.
The Department of Social Protection has confirmed that some of the 20 garda officers seconded to its special investigations unit (SIU) are participating in reviews to assess claimants’ eligibility for welfare payments.
Anti-Austerity Alliance councillor Cian Prendiville described the move as an “absolute disgrace” which amounts to “interrogation and “intimidation” of unemployed people.
The Limerick-based councillor was responding to a story in the Limerick Post which details the case of a woman in receipt of the deserted wives allowance for nearly two decades.
Employment rights officer Frank McDonald told the paper that the woman said “she felt like a criminal” after being called for a review where the plain clothes guard present warned her she could be prosecuted for failing to disclose any relevant information.
Prendiville said: “It seems the Gardai are now expected to spend their time harassing the unemployed and peaceful protesters in order to keep Joan Burton happy.”
The Department confirmed to TheJournal.ie that gardaí are in some cases sitting in on interviews and said their involvement is usually based on the nature of the investigation or enquiries being undertaken.
The work of all Social Welfare Inspectors including the seconded Gardaí involves the interview of customers – this is related to the nature of the case enquiries and the investigations being made.
While it is not department policy that a guard should be present at every interview, the department said it depends on the nature and circumstances of the case.
“In any interview situation a Garda/Social Welfare Inspector will introduce themselves as a member of the Gardaí seconded to the Department of Social Protection and duly appointed as a Social Welfare Inspector,” the department said.
Their role as a social welfare inspector for the purposes of reviewing entitlement to a social protection payment will be fully explained to the person concerned as will the purpose of the interview. Such interviews are voluntary and the customer concerned is clearly advised of this.
The secondment of 20 gardaí to the department’s SIU is a one-year pilot programme that began last December and is due to be reviewed shortly to determine whether it will be extended.
The gardaí are based in social welfare offices in Dublin, Galway, Navan, Sligo, Limerick, Cork, Dundalk, Longford, Monaghan, Letterkenny.
The department said it did not accept the charge that garda involvement in some social welfare reviews amounted to unfair intimidation of the unemployed and legitimate welfare claimants. A spokesperson said:
In any interview situation great care is taken by all Departmental officers including the gardaí seconded to the Department that the nature and purpose of the interview is explained. All officers identify themselves and explain their role.
They added that where a person believes they have not been treated fairly there are formal systems to manage and deal with complaints.
The department also insisted that the “vast majority of people” in receipt of welfare support are exercising their legitimate rights and receiving the appropriate payments.
Good idea and people with genuine claims have nothing to fear. The photo the Journal have used of Gardai on public order duty is not helpful.
Well said Eugene, why are people claiming to be made feel like criminals?? Are they implying the Gardai are not entitled to investigate this? They are in plain clothes and it takes place in the welfare office, its not like they are dragged down to the station. Even a single case of welfare fraud adds up to a massive amount over time if you factor in rent allowance etc.
Jaysus lads,
It’s almost as though you two would approve of having the Gardaí “sit in” on meetings between the Revenue and their clients and the odd meeting between and accountant and their client as well.
Surely every fraud should be targeted equally?
FG/Lab are introducing the very worst of fascism and you two are vocal cheerleaders?
Fraud?, 4 yrs since the Moriarty Tribunal found a government Minister corrupt , a file from the Gardai is with the DPP, all that time and he refuses to issue direction to Gardai whether to prosecute, maybe its because when the DPP rings the local station he is informed all staff are currently engaged with Social Welfare or Irish Water
Social Welfare offices and other public services used to strive for a higher level of customer service than “nothing to fear”.
The experience, for genuine applicants (which is the vast majority of them) of needing to access public assistance, is miserable and humiliating enough already without having some guard sitting there as you show them eighteen years worth of utility bills and job applications.
That is incorrect, the DPP do not have a file from the Gardaí in relation to the Moriarty Tribunal as the Gardaí are still investigating
leargas, you are supposed to put inverted commas around the “gardai are still investigating”. the fact I’d there is more gardai allocated to minor social welfare crime than major political corruption tells you volumes.
It appears that cross border welfare fraud does necessitate gardai to investigate claimants.
Moronic failed comparison (Re read and think again)
Conor how does this one companies fraud add up to and the monies they rob from the Irish taxpayer, but by all means, do the bidding of your masters and burn the poor at the stakes. It shows the poor state of Irish education, when even today we are fooled by chamber tricks and hunt down the already downtrodden. As Beckett put it, for every Irishman on a spit, there will be two to turn it.
Google’s provision of €17m in corporate tax in 2012 to Ireland on the foreign net income of $8.1bn it booked in Ireland, gave an effective tax rate of 0.21%.
So the AAA are in favor of Social Welfare Fraud.
That because most of their voters never did a day work in their life.
If you have nothing to hide you should have no problem with it
these stupid inflammatory stories published on here, to incite class hatred & divide the middle from those on the bottom, while white collar criminals & crooked politicians sit back and laugh at the idiotic, boneheaded comments, like the 3 above this, is laughable….
the wealthy are getting away with murder here, and these dumb stories are here to help them avoid detection… that’s how parasites operate….
undetected….
That’s how they want to keep it; have us all fighting among ourselves over scraps, too busy arguing among ourselves to realise that we’re all being shafted here.
Apple PLC owe us €19 billion in unpaid taxes, according to the EU,,
FG don’t want to take it, as if its their money…. its not, it’s all of ours..
All the knuckle draggers on here then, trying to make themselves feel better by abusing those less well off than themselves…
why do they take the bait so willingly?
You’re so ignorant and narrow minded it’s almost funny!
I work two jobs …… am educated….. 50 year old woman …reared 2 children alone….. work in the area of SW and I am also a counsellor . I am also anti water charges . I pay all my other bill, taxes, levies, charges .
There are many more like me! Waaaay too easy to write everyone off as losers and spongers just because we back the Anti Austerity Alliance .
Totally agree disruptive how much money is lost to the exchequer from tax evasion and through many of those tax loopholes in place that only the very wealthy can avail of???.
Beat the poor with the stick and ignore a much more sinister fringe of fraudsters among the very wealthy.
I wonder are the guards sittin in on bank meetings warning the participants that they’ll be proscecuted if they gamble away everyones money…. Somehow I doubt it
More moronic Twaddle!
good news stop the spongers.
100% agree – and cut their massive unearned ministerial and td’s pensions too. One person = 1 state pension
You can still get deserted wife allowance?
No you can no longer apply for it. It is now the One Parent Family Payment
However if you are granted the Deserted Wives payment years ago you are entitled to hold on to it under that name. Same payment different name.
Nasty businss.The state demonises the unemployed for the shortage of jobs which is the inevitable result of the austerity policies enforced by the government and EU. Neo liberal jack boot economics designed to crush the working class for the benefit of the capitalist elite.
Are you speaking on behalf of the aaa waffler? Or is this your opinion?
She has been collecting this for two decades… Seriously???
Are you speaking on behalf of your beloved blueshirts sunshine? It’s not opinion but economic fact that austerity can only lengthen and deepen a recession as demonstrated by Keynes over 70 years ago in his ‘paradox of thrift’.
The husband who deserted very seldom comes back or bothers his backside to pay maintenance so whats the problem justanother?.
I find it hard to believe that She never lived with anyone since, or got a job for half her working life.
But we’re not in a recession Wally. How’s does your theory work now?
lol how can we argue with you. You are impervious to facts or logic. The Gardai are only involved in cases of suspected fraud. So you are against cracking down on fraud? The complete and utter drivel that you post is the reason why Fianna Fail and Fine Gael win election after election. Who would elect a government spouting the complete nonsense that you come out with? Your complete non-sensical ideas destroy countries and societies, they make people poor and destitute.
If Keynes had the answer why has Japan’s use of his policy (the largest contemporary Keynesian experiment) been such a failure. Debt to GDP nearly 250%. Ireland is around 100%. His policy requires huge Gov stimulus, where does this money come from, Tax? Borrowing? And don’t say if we invested the bank bailout money, if we burn bond holders who would loan the finance for the stimulus to us. So basically what Keynes does is give with one and take with another. Before Im accused I am not a fan of Neo-Lib economics as it does most damage to the weaker members of society and is usually accompanied by a loss of civil liberties. However, to call Ireland a neo-lib economy is pure hyperbole and an ignorance of what Neo-Lib entails. Small Gov? Ire? seriously. Where is the wide scale privatization? We have increased regulation and compared to other countries Neo-Lib plans social welfare has remained fairly intact.
yeah taxpayer. We’re out of recession in much the same way as Bertie was a socialist. Meanwhile in the real world that most of us live in there’s a raging homelessness crisis, our health and education systems are decimated, our sons and daughters emigrate in their tens of thousands, we work in miminu wage, zero hour contact jobs etc etc etc. It’s deliberate and calculated economic vandalism which serves the interests of capital.
Eddie, Success or failuure is not determined by a debt to gdp ratio. Japan’s debt burden is irrelevant as it’s denominated in Yen. There is no size of yen debt or deficit which Japan cannot sustain as it’s paid via simple keystokes at the central bank. However Irelands debt is denominated in effectively a foreign currency and so cannot be serviced via keystokes.
justanothertaxpayer
44 minutes ago # 11 16
I find it hard to believe that She never lived with anyone since, or got a job for half her working life.”
Oh I’m sure she had a few men in her life alright who might hand her 50 quid a week for bed and board while giving her a little bit of loving and then a few months later he’s bored and moves on and she’s back to square one again, is that really fraud in the grand scheme of things?.
John I think you’ll find that FF and FG were winning elections long before I began posting on the Journal. The reason that the Right have always governed the nation in the interests of capital is much to do with the confusion of the working class which you exemplify.
William , there is not need for that woman to get deserted wives benefit for nearly 20 years . it’s too long to be on that benefit .
F#^k you! You must work for the gov’t!
@William – I am not sure what you are suggesting about the woman with that comment, but I have zero tolerance for anyone scamming the social welfare net, even for 50 euro per week.
@Wally – Slightly exaggerating there but I see your point. However, your original point was that Keynes says austerity lengthens recessions – which has now been shown to be incorrect as we are actually growing at a fair old clip now.
Maybe she had 4 or 5 young kids when the husband deserted her Suzie?, just a generalisation as this is a fairly common scenario as regards deserted wives,, not exactly the time to go find work now is it with young children to rear, and anyway the allowance is just an existence not a life of luxury.
William , if that’s the case all those years ago , that’s fine , but those kids would now be adults in their 20′s and yet she’s still claiming it ?
Technically she is still a deserted wife, and entitled to deserted wife benefit rather than one parent benefit as she had been claiming it before 1997, you can also get a reduced rate of deserted wife benefit and do a few days work.
The government are trying to frighten those on job seekers allowance, to stay away from the water protest, and to stop blocking meter installation,it’s just another gasp at air for this government and Irish Water.
How does it serve the interests of capital?
I’m delighted to see this happening. Too many spongers doing a spot of painting or gardening for payment while signing on.This also is putting pressure on the genuine skilled tradesman who is paying his taxes.NO to the black economy.
Thankfully, as cash becomes more and more rare, electronic payments will eradicate the theft
A computer security company I know likes to hire ex Gardai because they know how to investigate and interview, the know about chain of evidence and are very good at identifying abnormal patterns and behaviours in transactions and spotting fraud. if you are trying to find fraud then they are probably the people to use.
Should get them to read the report from the Moriarty Tribunal.
No, there not. They should train their staff to do their jobs properly. This is nothing but intimidation, and an extremely dangerous road to go down.
Frank McDonald said the woman felt like a criminal because the guard was interviewing her. Surely fraud is a criminal offense
There was nothing to say she was guilty of fraud ?? If they are doing this randomly I’d imagine it’s upsetting and intimidating.
why Is it intimidating if you have nothing to hide though? I’m not sure why it impacts on the interview? surely only people who will be worried are fraudsters..
Nothing to say she guilty but if she committed no offense what’s the problem. Are you seriously suggesting we can’t interview people now because they might be upset
well, there;s talk of revenue going through ppls bank & credit card statements, to see if they are living beyond their means, ie undeclared income, in similar circumstances…
maybe you can come back then and lets us know how you felt about being treated like a criminal, when there is zero evidence against you, no probable cause to suspect or even question you about a crime, but the fact you are not wealthy…. all this is against the law in civilised countries.. this fascistic Gov;t trying to get us to give away our rights, by stealth, again….
And this Gov’t calls the public sinister? Moriarty, anyone?
Disruptive. You sound very defensive. Just saying
no. i just have some limited understanding of how the law works…
whats your point? you just like to beat up on the vulnerable? aee u a FG’er by any chance?
have you gotten a pay rise out of attacking the less well off?
whats your angle? we know Young FG bots are online, everyday, spouting Gov’t Propaganda..
are you one of them, Mr Gov’t Attack dog?
No I not !
But I’m saying if there is a Garda present in any situation it becomes more stressful .
Have u ever been stopped by a Garda when driving your car? Even if u have done nothing wrong you feel nervous and worried . Yes SERIOULY mickmc !!
the mention at the end that it is voluntary. every person in this situation should be informed and request to rearrange the interview when the Garda is not present. this is the wrong way for a state to behave.
its sicking this government singling out the working class and the unemployed divide and conquer comes to mind , while white collar crime seems to be acceptable we have politicians bankers and big business men committing fraud and walking away scot-free, ( The Anglo Irish Bank hidden loans controversy), IBRC massive write down of debt to billionaire at the tax payers expense, gardai acting as private for Irish water.
we need to deal with fraud from the very top first. Its turning into a police state… demonising protesters, criminalising the unemployed… this is only the beginning. Where will it end if we don’t get this shower out?
If my Granny hd balls she’d be my Grandad. Today fella today
Is this really the best use of Garda resources I accept there are a few people who will always try and cheat the system the majority of people who claim social welfare have too surely the few rotten apples can be managed by the social welfare department this myth that it’s a lifestyle choice seriously who would choose €188 a week as a lifestyle choice caviar and champagne it ain’t.
10′s of thousands of people clinging to rafts in the Med, assaulting truck drivers in Calais to try and fights their way into the country and into the UK/Irish welfare state would seem to contradict your assessment…
€188 a week isn’t anywhere near the amount you can get though…
Rent allowance.
Free medical.
Free travel.
Christmas ‘bonus’.
Heating allowance
to list a few…
By the time a working person pays tax and their mortgage they could be better off on welfare.
Welfare fraud is a crime that effects everyone so yes I think the Gardai should be used.
Anyone found guilty of such fraud should be banned from receiving welfare for life.instead of this nonsense of paying back €2 a week out of tax payers money in the first place !! Ridiculous!!
Isn’t that why welfare have their own inspectors to root out fraud and once fraud has been detected they have a legal process to deal with it, wtf would you need a Garda for and what exactly would his.hers role be, intimidation?.
Bit early for the popcorn but stand by for a swarm of posts condemning social welfare recipients, the old them and us divide and conquer.
I work on a TÚS scheme, 19.5 hours a week as currently there are only 23 Full Time Jobs for all of Dublin on the Job Seeker app. I get €188 a week plus €20 for the 19.5 hours I work. No free travel, no heating allowance, there has been no Christmas ‘Bonus’ for years now. By the time, I pay my rent, bills, loan, I have €20 a week for food. You don’t live on social welfare, you survive. If you have a full time job for me, I’d happily take it.
After 188eurom the additional payments are means tested …..it’s very misleading of you to say you get ALL of the aforementioned. You have to be sick or old or a carer. If you are living with another person, work part time, it changes too . There are so many permutations, every case is different . t’s way too easy to label everybody as scroungers! And what Christmas bonus are you talking about???
I work in this area and you do NOT get all those payments just because you’re signing on!!
It beggars belief that the comment by f m has garnered so many green thumbs; it’s the worst kind of misinformation.
No everyone gets rent allowance.
Everyone on Social Welfare is entitled to medical card, admittedly.
There is no free travel.
There isn’t any Christmas bonus; hasn’t been in years.
There is no heating allowance.
This sort of misinformation is dangerous; it sets people who work against people on social welfare. The dole is a rut; most normal people would take a job over Social Welfare any day of the week, It isn’t fair to demonise people on the dole.
Christmas bonus was partially reins agrees last year. And will be paid again this year.
Reinstated **
That’s electioneering and nothing more.
What was it Vin something like 25% of your social welfare payment?, just enough to buy a box of crackers a few selection boxes.
I’m not on social welfare.
Not suggesting you are Vin just replying to those who thought the xmas bonus for social welfare recipients was some sort of pot of gold at the end of a rainbow.
So let’s take it back vin.
nothing anywhere near the level of corporate fraud costs the people of Ireland…
why does that go undetected do you think FM?
Agreed VinHeff ……. Plus you do not just repay €2 if you have been overpaid !! It’s €25 a week!!!
FM is completely misinformed and complelety ignorant of the state of play with DSP these days !!
In an election year, Sunshine? Yeah, right….
there is a fuel allowance .
E20 pw isnt much to heat your home
well Philip its a lot to some people , it helps some people .
How naieve!? delusional in fact, unless you want to try and convince those of us who know that we are off the mark. Won’t work I’m afraid. Hug a Tree
How Ireland compares?
While international comparisons of the
level of social welfare fraud are also a
complex issue, research shows that
the rates of social welfare fraud in
Ireland appear to be broadly within the
range of 2-5% of expenditure which
was identified in a number of other
countries.
Not everyone on social welfare gets a medical card, if you are on an invalidity pension and your partner works you may not get one as it is means tested and the limit is quite low, the fact that one weeks pensioner each month goes on your medication is not taken into consideration, and if your unlucky enough to have a disease that’s not recognised as ‘long term ‘ even though there is no cure and inadequate treatment you don’t have much success appealing the decision to turn you down for a medical card, I’ve often not seen my doctor at times that I should have because I simply couldn’t afford to. I worked until I was forced to stop because I couldn’t get medical clearance to continue, I had a good, well paid job that I loved and now I’ve been told that even on the occasional day I have when I’m able to move without pain I cannot help out at a local charity shop because that’d mean I was fit to work while claiming a disability payment!! I might be fit to do this about once every six week or so. Nor can anyone on this payment take a part time job, reduce their social welfare and try ease themselves back into employment while monitoring their health. I’d love to work again.
Plenty of “sons and daughters of Thatcher” on the comments section. Not friends of the poor at all.
Friends of the poor and friends of fraudsters are different things…
the fraudsters are in Government…
have u seen how the Gov;t fraudulently inflate the figures around this problem?
Very similar to the way they deflate the jobless figures, while giving themselves & retired ministers a fooking pay raise?
If they are not going to sit in on interviews what exactly are they doing attached to the social welfare department? As it clearly states if you have a problem there is a complaints process.
Will members of the gardaí sit on when business owners apply to government agencies for state funding? Will they sit in when politicians meet lobbyists on behalf of big business? Will they sit in when applications for oil and gas exploration licences are being applied for, or when contracts for the supply of items such as water meters are being given out? This is clearly a despicable attempt to intimidate working class people and should be resisted? The same intimidation is clearly on show at social welfare offices where huge signs warning about fraud are displayed on every wall – something you won’t see in the offices of the IDA or Enterprise Ireland. This is a continuation of the Class War being waged by the rich against the poor.
HSE to use ScamBridge to advertise for a ‘Clinical Psychologist’ ..The lucky ‘Clinical Psychologist’ who will get this sought after position will get a bonus of €50 on their €188 dole payment .
And that’s after 10 years of study, undergrad, masters and PhD – the least you need to be a clinical psychologist.
good man cian, does he think welfare fraud is ok?
its great
my issue with this is not the fraud aspect and Gardai sitting in on these meetings but the hypocrisy and one sidedness of it all. small fry once again trying to survive in some cases made to feel like criminals and there these govt ministers and the likes of DOB etc getting away with millions in avoiding paying taxes and lower tax rates. if it were fair for everyone why would many scam in the first place?
I want all of you, All Of You, to attend an interview with the Special Investigations Unit this afternoon. You will not object if you have nothing to hide. You will present all details pertaining to your personal finances for the last decade. If justice is to be dispensed, we must all be suspects. Some of us will be suspected more than others. Do not point this out. If you do, you will be found suspicious. If you do not want to be found suspicious you must earn more money. There is sanctity in wealth, as well you all know. The less wealthy you are, the more profane. Apply yourselves. This is the world you wanted. This is the world you will get. Take off your clothes and leave them folded on the bench. Bend over. Shut up. Going forward.
Moronic Twaddle!
The unemployed, guilty until proven innocent.
If a person has engaged in fraud then they need to be interviewed by Gardai at the Gardai station. Bringing Gardai into a Social Welfare office to do routine interviews on normal people who have never been suspected much less accused of breaking the law is wrong. It’s the same of accusing someone of being a criminal when there is absolutely no evidence.
It’s even more disturbing at a time when we have high levels of real crime that Gardai resources are being used to do the daily desk work of the Department Of Social Services.
sternn it’s for suspected cases of fraud , its not for a normal person who had never been suspected of anything , there are only going to be sitting in on suspected fraud cases , that’s all .
Very poor use of their time at the very least though, Suzie. wouldn’t you agree?
bigus , no I don’t agree , there’s too many fraudulent claims being made .
A 20-strong investigative unit could be put to much better use. SW fraud is wee buns.
Go hug a tree!
DOB
The garda station is the place for investigative interviews.
Jesus next the gardai will be sitting in on job interviews, ‘warning people they could be prosecuted for failing to disclose any relevant information’!!!! “
I am in favour of weeding out social welfare fraudsters, but the department should be training their own people to do the initial interviews. The Gardai should only be included at a very late stage in the case.
denis wont like his staff being used like this
This is Joke! There’s no Gardai Car Available if a House is getting Robbed or You Yourself is getting Robbed at Knife Point But There’s Plenty to Get the Little Fishes that claming a few extra euro a week, Can they not Instead Go after the Big Fish That Continue Get Get Away With it All, Oh No Can’t Do That, There All Enda’s & Joan’s Buddies! Ah sure it’s the people on the welfare fault Not the Rich No No Put it all on The backs of the Lower Class!
Maybe they could spare one the twenty to interview redacted.
This is the police state taken one step further. my concerns are from civil liberties stance. is the interview done under caution and what safeguards are in place to oversee data protection. If guards are there people should check what their rights are
Awful waste of Garda resources however if you’ve done nothing wrong what’s the issue?
European Court of Justice would have something to say about this about human dignity at least I would think?
Michael , why ? these people are suspected of making fraudulent claims ,if they haven’t , then they have nothing to worry about .
Because this government has broken the rights of the unemployed and of the individual many times under the E.C.J.
I believe this is just another way for the government has to intimidate people as they have done many things before which was similar unless the gardai are asking these people who they know who is working and being on social welfare at the same time?
Who says they are suspected when really it is a form of intimidation as that would not be the first time they would do that?
http://www.rte.ie/news/2015/0122/674778-labour-charter/
I personally welcome the move. My husband and i both work full and part time respectively and we struggle to make ends meet at times. Yet there are lazy articles out there with no intentions of ever becoming employed getting benefits left right and centre! Now im not on about genuine unemployed people, but why should my tax pay for someone to live it up every weekend on the piss whilst I sit at home? Its completely wrong and if they are caught doing it they should be prosecuted. Ever since the celtic crash there has been an upsurge of support for this kind of behaviour for “getting one up on the man” but for ordinary decent people out there trying to make a living its disgusting, I dont know how anyone could be proud of themselves to CHOOSE a life living on handouts and then to bring countless amount of children into it its a vicious circle. There are very genuine cases of lone parents but seriously 4, 5, 6 children later and not having names for birth certs? Some would call it stupidity but then others would say there laughing all the way to the bank!
umm not that good at solving petty crime and serious fraud though!!, I have had two instances of petty theft amounting to €2000 but all I got was a victim’s impact statement, petty crime yes “I do not blame the Gradi “its a lack of resources”, the Guards have a good idea who is committing such crime but in terms of value it does not pay to investigate, but if I commit a motoring offence there on to it, I wonder what is the total cost of petty crime and the cost of serious fraud in this country and weather Gradi sitting in on Social welfare claimants interviews really pays, but must admit for the few in this country that believe the motorist, and the worse of in society should be the easy target !!! the Guards are doing there job, Incidentally having the Guards protecting major contractors is another misuse of resources, the Gardi pledge “Working with Communities to protect and Serve.” “Who do they serve”!!! the Garda commissioner should be aware of public perception and the morale in society and the force
@Cathriona Daley..you have hit the nail on its head..my god, there are some people out there,that will never work to warm themselves.. and, yes it is tough some weeks to pay the bills..but,you know you have worked to get the money. not sit on your ass all week and wait for the handout..its about time the Social Welfare did something about it..
And yet the Gardai have interviewed how many bankers, politicians in relation to fraud that have destroyed this country for decades. When the Judge was let off his paedophile conviction by using an out of date search warrant, where was the investigation?
We are definitely seeing a two tier system being used to criminalise the working class, they chase and demonize the poorer of society and yet let the richer class off with billions of tax avoidance. The billions stole from our society affect our ailing health system, education system and our utilities and services, allowing the multi corporations to launder their taxes through our country, makes us complicit with the stealing of the under developed world.
NEVERMIND all that, as long as we jail the unemployed neighbour for a nixer on the side or a unpaid mortgage, fine, TV licence, out of date car tax or water tax, remember SERFS what ever you do, do not take from our overlords wages, pensions and expenses accounts.
People demanded a crackdown on welfare fraud . Now its happening and there is an outcry, how come that woman has not worked in 20 years ?
well said retired fireman , maybe people are getting worried now , there is no reason whatsoever for that woman to be receiving that benefit for 20 years
They should place members of the public in staisúin Gardaí across the country to make sure they’re doing their jobs right.
You know, in order to justify their paycheck.
Another day so another headline grab from Prenderville and the AAA.
There is a damn good reason why the Gardai are there for some social welfare interviews.
There are many documented cases of Limerick social welfare officials being threatened by gang members and their associates..
Guy is a fool in my opinion and knows little of the real world..
What formal systems are in place in the DSP to deal with a complaint if the person who’s being interviewed feels that they were treated unfairly? Will their complaint be investigated by the DSP, An Garda Siochana, GSOC and is the process independent and impartial?
Unacceptable policing of a private claim, are they intending to sit in on banking deals that bankrupt people and have bankrupted the state? This is not about having ‘nothing tofear’, its about attributing guilt to the notion of actually being a jobseeker thanks to entrenched economically selfish policy
For every Irishman on a spit, there will be two to turn it. Beckett.
umm not that good at solving petty crime and serious fraud though!!, I have had two instances of petty theft amounting to €2000 but all I got was a victim’s impact statement, petty crime yes “I do jot blame the Grade its a lack of resources”, the Guards have a good idea who is committing such crime but in terms of value it does not pay to investigate, but if I commit a motoring offence there on to it, I wonder what is the total cost of petty crime and the cost of serious fraud in this country and weather Grade sitting in on Social welfare claimants interviews really pays, but must admit for the few in this country that believe the worse of in society should be the motorist, and the worse of in society are the easy target !!! Incidentally having the Guards protecting major contractors is another misuse of resources, the Garda pledge “Working with Communities to protect and Serve.” “ Who do they serve”!!!
So let me get this clear. Are they double-jobbing?
More benefit cheats exposed, are the Gardaí interviewing these guys next.
Google’s provision of €17m in corporate tax in 2012 to Ireland on the foreign net income of $8.1bn it booked in Ireland, gave an effective tax rate of 0.21%.
umm not that good at solving petty crime and serious fraud though!!, I have had two instances of petty theft amounting to €2000 but all I got was a victim’s impact statement, petty crime yes “I do jot blame the Gradi its a lack of resources”, the Guards have a good idea who is committing such crime but in terms of value it does not pay to investigate, but if I commit a motoring offence there on to it, I wonder what is the total cost of petty crime and the cost of serious fraud in this country and whether Grade sitting in on Social welfare claimants interviews really pays, but must admit for the few in this country that believe the worse of in society and the motorist, should be the easy target !!! Incidentally having the Guards protecting major contractors is another misuse of resources, the Garda pledge “Working with Communities to protect and Serve.” “ Who do they serve”!!!
I’d have no problem being interviewed by a gard if it meant that I would continue to receive free money from the state! Some people want everything for nothing.
free money ?? a lot of people worked for years before they lost their jobs and the tax they paid are for this reason so its not free money
I would like to know what the Gardai think themselves about this extra policing of the public.
When are people going to realise that the ones scamming social welfare are only damaging genuine people who need it . That’s why there are cuts in certain allowances when you have Bob down the road working and claiming at the same time. If you have nothing to hide you’ve nothing to worry about !!!
Ask those concerned if the cause of action is in the nature of a contract or a tort. (Is it civil or criminal?) watch em squirm
It’s Dickensian! I presume the Gardaí never get round to interviewing the underpayers of entitlements.
Some seriously paranoid conspiracy junkies posting here today. Love the way they throw the word “working class” around when the same people wouldn’t work to warm themselves for fear of missing the protest de jour.
are interviewees given the right to an attorney?
Wasn’t it the wealthy that broke Ireland ? And still are, they tell the workers that the poor are robbing the state and it is all their fault. Corporations are the biggest users of welfare. The trickle down to the most vulnerable is less than peanuts. Lets hope all those who are paying taxes and work never have to attend a social welfare office and try to prove you need it to feed and clothed and keep a roof over your heads. The Gardai should be interviewing the bondholders and the elite of this country and ask where our billions of taxpayers money and natural resources are, you will find therein lies the truth.
I’m a social welfare recipient technically speaking. I’m on jobseekers while awaiting carers and domicilary allowance for the past two year’s , service’s has misplaced my file twice ! Convenient. However I do not go out on weekend’s as I cannot afford to do so ! I’ve two disabled children! My income is currently 277.70 per week, let’s deduct outcome -€20 gas, €30 electricity -€53.40 rent – €4.00 tv licence, -€25 medications yes even with medical card fees exist, -€25 phone this is not a luxury it’s need with the amount of medical appointments we have and for emergencies , -€120,00 food -€15 bins -€50 on average in transport, the total deductions add up to €342,40, this is without clothing , schools fees, or any luxuries at all ! I’ve three children and yes daddy’s on the birth cert! But decided to run when thing’s for tough ! And I receive no maintenance as he’s out Of the Irish jurisdiction! So please explain to me how my life is luxurious ? And how my social life is booming ? And how I’m lazy? If I where to work no medical card’s impossible to survive financially without neglecting much needed medical appointments, how would I pay for nurses to mind my children while I work? How would I pay ridicoulous millionaire rents for squat housing? My point is wether you work or not we’re all surviving ! There are no luxurious in my life and I’m not questioning your position ! But I’m tired of hearing people on welfare live better lives because seriously this is not true ! People that live better lives are the one’s running the country ! The bankers politicians certain landlord’s!
I think its a good idea.. if you are found out that you have been frauding the state you should be punished. it might make some people think twice about doing it.. the law is there to protect the Tax payers not just the fraudsters.
bout time
come on
Good use of Gardai
good
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