Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 16 June 2026
620. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection the arrangements with other countries to check if persons in receipt of payments from his Department are not in employment outside this jurisdiction; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45254/26]
View answerMy Department is committed to ensuring that social welfare payments are made only to those who are eligible to receive them. All recipients are legally required to notify the Department of any change in circumstances that may affect their entitlement, including any intention to work or reside outside the State.
Robust control measures are in place across all schemes, including systematic identity and address verification, ongoing eligibility checks, in-person “signing-on” requirements at Intreo Centres, and payment collection at Post Offices for jobseeker schemes and targeted control reviews. Where a person fails to engage with these checks, appropriate follow-up action is taken. Social Welfare Inspectors also undertake residency checks by visiting a claimant’s stated address.
The Department undertakes regular and systematic data-matching with external bodies, including the Revenue Commissioners, in accordance with legislative provisions. Notifications are received from the Department of Justice where a person is no longer entitled to remain in the State; in such cases, any social welfare payments in place are stopped.
The Department also engages in information exchange through EU and bilateral arrangements. These mechanisms allow the Department to verify employment, residence, and social security status across borders. Where concerns arise that a person may be working or residing abroad while claiming a payment here, the Department can seek confirmation from the relevant authorities in the other jurisdiction. These arrangements ensure that individuals working outside this State are not simultaneously receiving payments to which they are not entitled.
In 2025, approximately 716,500 control reviews were carried out across a wide range of schemes. In addition to these routine controls, the Department conducts control surveys on individual schemes. These control surveys have not identified any systemic weaknesses in the control framework, including in relation to payments to individuals residing outside the State.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
