asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he is satisfied that all reasonable measures are being taken by his Department to establish whether there are abuses of the welfare system; and if he will make a statement in the matter.

I am satisfied that all reasonable measures are being taken by my Department in the matter of the detection of abuses of the social welfare system. These measures include the operations of officers whose responsibility it is to ensure that the requirements of the Social Welfare Acts are complied with in the matter of the payment of social insurance contributions and the receipt of benefit. Outdoor officers of the Department are also responsible for the investigation of the means of applicants where such a qualification must be satisfied, thereby ensuring that not only those qualified receive their due entitlement but also that those not satisfying the prescribed conditions do not incorrectly receive payments. These officers also pursue inquiries into cases of suspected fraud and other irregularities in relation to the claiming and receipt of social welfare payments generally. I may add that to make these measures more effective and to provide greater deterrents very substantially increased penalties for abuses of the social welfare system were provided for in the Social Welfare (No. 2) Act, 1976, which was enacted in July last.

Is a departmental inquiry being conducted into the question of social welfare abuses?

It is not a question of a departmental inquiry. There is constant attention being paid to this aspect of the social welfare system.

Would the Parliamentary Secretary answer the question: is there a full scale inquiry being conducted by the Department into the question of social welfare abuses or is it a continuing function of the Department?

It is a continuing operation in the Department.

So there is not a special inquiry being conducted into the suggestion that there are social welfare abuses?

The implication of a special inquiry would be that we neglected this previously. We did not neglect it; this is a continuing process.

I understood that a year ago the Parliamentary Secretary said he would be making such a specific inquiry into the question of social welfare abuses.

I cannot recall a statement of that kind. I have always adopted the view that any abuse of the social welfare code is a serious matter and one that should be constantly the subject of scrutiny by officers of my Department.