GARDAI in Buncrana have
confirmed that a major crackdown on cross-border
social welfare fraud has begun in the peninsula. A
spokesperson said checkpoints to combat welfare and
other abuses have been set up with more random stops
planned for the coming weeks and months.
The crackdown comes as Social and Family Affairs
Minister Mary Hanafin identified Buncrana as one of
the border welfare offices causing most concern for
her department. Claims in Buncrana in January were
up a massive 105% on a year ago. While it is widely
conceded many of these extra claimants are Inishowen
people who have lost their jobs, the Department says
the figure is in stark contrast with most offices in
the rest of Co Donegal. And she said the North West
was "by far the worst area for benefit cheats" and
that "the number of people claiming in Buncrana and
Ballybofey are out of line with the rest of the
county".
To illustrate, Ms Hanafin's office released figures
on Friday showing the huge percentage rises in
welfare claimant numbers along the border in January
2008 compared to January 2009. The figures
highlighted Buncrana and Ballybofey as having the
highest differentials in Co Donegal. While the
average rise for Co Donegal was 74%, Buncrana was up
105% while Ballybofey was up 123%. The lowest
recorded increase was in Killybegs at 35% with
Dungloe the next lowest at 42%. Dunfanaghy recorded
a rise of 55% while Letterkenny recorded an increase
of 63% in welfare claimants. Large increases in
counties Cavan, Louth, Leitrim and Monaghan are also
coming under the department’s spotlight.
Ms Hanafin's department announced a "major crackdown
on cross border welfare scammers" last Friday.
"People who try to rip-off the Irish taxpayer by
claiming to be entitled to social welfare payments,
when in fact they are seeking to defraud the State,
will be stopped and dealt with appropriately by the
relevant agencies and authorities," she warned.
She said the multi-agency checkpoints had now
switched their priority to claims for Jobseekers
Benefit and Jobseekers Allowance.
"Over the coming weeks and months more checkpoints
will be in place in counties right along the
border," she said.
She said locally based social welfare inspectors
were currently reviewing all claims of residency and
were making unannounced home visits to claimants.
"If it is found that they are not living at the
address they have provided, their claims are not
allowed or if they are in payment, it is stopped.”
Minister Hanafin said so called “welfare tourism”
might seem attractive when Northern welfare rates
were much lower than in the Republic and when the
euro/sterling differential had narrowed. “We cannot
allow our system to be abused when people right
across the country, who have paid social insurance,
are now losing their jobs and are seeing their
incomes drop significantly as they claim their
entitlements," she said.
The Buncrana Garda spokesperson yesterday confirmed
that the most recent checkpoint involved a
multi-agency approach. Typically, checkpoints now
include Gardai and personnel from the Department of
Social and Family Affairs as well as Customs &
Excise officials.
Differences in weekly Jobseekers' Allowance rates in
Northern Ireland compared to the Republic:
Single person under 25 years: North €53.90 -
Republic €204.30
Single person over 25 years: North €68.00 - Republic
€204.30
Married couple: North €106.70 - Republic €339.90. |
