I remind Members that in respect of promised legislation there is one minute per question and one minute per answer.

A just and fair society is a clear objective of the programme for Government. In that regard, it is important for Ministers to tell the truth and refrain from engaging in fake news about specific issues. I refer, in particular, to the social welfare budget. Recently, a campaign on welfare cheats was launched by the Minister for Social Protection, Deputy Leo Varadkar, setting out the big figure of €500 million which could be gained from tackling fraud. Deputy Willie O'Dea tabled a parliamentary question, to which we received a comprehensive reply yesterday setting out, lo and behold, that only €41 million in payments was attributable to fraud. Social welfare inspectors conduct face-to-face interviews and desktop reviews through which they discern the level of fraud. In this instance, the nation has been the victim of an extraordinary degree of fake news. The subtext of the Department and the Minister sponsoring an expensive media advertising campaign to tell untruths and brand welfare recipients in general - that is the most serious issue - appears to be about creating the impression that there is welfare fraud involving hundreds of millions which the Minister, Deputy Leo Varadkar, is going to get because he wants to be leader. For those in receipt of social welfare payments, it is not good enough and does not speak to the just and fair society and the creation of a social economy as articulated in chapter 3 of the programme for Government. Does the Taoiseach agree that it was wrong and unfair to suggest there was a sum of €500 million when, in fact, according to the details of the Minister's own parliamentary reply, the figure is only €41 million?

Fraud is the wrongful acquisition of money from those who have to pay for it.

Yes.

We know that.

The Deputy understands that. The Department of Social Protection conducted nearly 950,000 entitlement reviews and investigations across all of its schemes last year. The reviews yielded a sum of €506 million in control savings for the year. Reviews and investigations of entitlements are conducted by social welfare inspectors assigned to the-----

I ask the Taoiseach to read through what he has available. Of the sum of €506 million, how much is attributable to fraud?

We cannot have a conversation across the floor.

Four minutes are already gone.

A review can involve a desk-based assessment of entitlements, a direct inquiry-----

It is in the parliamentary reply the Taoiseach is reading. It says it is €41 million.

I do not have the answer to the Dáil question Deputy Martin raised specifically yesterday.

The Taoiseach is reading from it. Obviously whoever wrote the reply to the parliamentary question wrote the note. If the Taoiseach reads through it he will see €41 million in fraud.

I have got the savings recorded by social welfare, which come to €506 million-----

He has to be impartial.

-----from jobseeker's allowance, pensions and household benefits.

That is not fraud.

Little old ladies getting their inheritance before they die is not fraud. They are afraid for their lives.

The campaign is to deal with the question of welfare fraud.

Which campaign?

The elect Leo campaign.

This is the campaign to address the fraudulent receipt of moneys from the taxpayer through social welfare schemes of one sort or another.

I admire the Taoiseach's neutrality.

All the time that is being taken up on this particular matter simply means other Members do not get a chance to raise their questions.