Serious questions have to be asked about the effectiveness of oversight concerning both the assistance and benefit schemes operated by the Department of Social Protection. I received a reply which stated that between 2011 and 2016, €420 million was recovered by the Department due to overpayments. It also stated that cases of social welfare fraud totalling €53 million were detected. The vast majority of social welfare recipients are honest, are entitled to it and do not commit fraud. I am concerned, however, that €420 million should have been recovered. Apart from the cost of the recovery process, it also has an effect on those getting payments. Many of them would have received overpayments unknown to themselves. They may have spent that money on very necessary living expenses, but are then forced to repay it or have it deducted from their payments.

Serious questions must be asked in the Department as to how overpayments are reaching that level. Anguish and distress are caused to families in trying to pay it back. Something is wrong in the Department, and it goes back to what Deputy Seán Barrett said about the HSE. People in the Department are accountable, yet they are not doing their job.

I am glad the unemployment rate has fallen and, therefore, the requirement to have to provide social protection for 15.3% of unemployed people has now been reduced to something like 7.2% or 7.3%.

That is not the question I put.

Unemployment of that nature is based on conditions. Those conditions stem from information supplied by people in respect of their eligibility to draw social welfare.

No.

If the Deputy is saying that all these people have suddenly received money they should not have, he needs to reflect on that. There has been quite a deal of fraud detection in social protection.

Some €53 million. It is a lot more than €20 million.

Nobody wants to see people unemployed. They need to have an opportunity to get a job and pay their dues. Nobody wants to see fraudulent activities either, so it is only right that such money should be recovered.