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GARDAÍ ARE SITTING in on some interviews with people claiming social welfare as part of efforts to root out potential overpayments or fraud.
The Department of Social Protection has confirmed that some of the 20 garda officers seconded to its special investigations unit (SIU) are participating in reviews to assess claimants’ eligibility for welfare payments.
Anti-Austerity Alliance councillor Cian Prendiville described the move as an “absolute disgrace” which amounts to “interrogation and “intimidation” of unemployed people.
The Limerick-based councillor was responding to a story in the Limerick Post which details the case of a woman in receipt of the deserted wives allowance for nearly two decades.
Employment rights officer Frank McDonald told the paper that the woman said “she felt like a criminal” after being called for a review where the plain clothes guard present warned her she could be prosecuted for failing to disclose any relevant information.
Prendiville said: “It seems the Gardai are now expected to spend their time harassing the unemployed and peaceful protesters in order to keep Joan Burton happy.”
The Department confirmed to TheJournal.ie that gardaí are in some cases sitting in on interviews and said their involvement is usually based on the nature of the investigation or enquiries being undertaken.
The work of all Social Welfare Inspectors including the seconded Gardaí involves the interview of customers – this is related to the nature of the case enquiries and the investigations being made.
While it is not department policy that a guard should be present at every interview, the department said it depends on the nature and circumstances of the case.
“In any interview situation a Garda/Social Welfare Inspector will introduce themselves as a member of the Gardaí seconded to the Department of Social Protection and duly appointed as a Social Welfare Inspector,” the department said.
Their role as a social welfare inspector for the purposes of reviewing entitlement to a social protection payment will be fully explained to the person concerned as will the purpose of the interview. Such interviews are voluntary and the customer concerned is clearly advised of this.
The secondment of 20 gardaí to the department’s SIU is a one-year pilot programme that began last December and is due to be reviewed shortly to determine whether it will be extended.
The gardaí are based in social welfare offices in Dublin, Galway, Navan, Sligo, Limerick, Cork, Dundalk, Longford, Monaghan, Letterkenny.
The department said it did not accept the charge that garda involvement in some social welfare reviews amounted to unfair intimidation of the unemployed and legitimate welfare claimants. A spokesperson said:
In any interview situation great care is taken by all Departmental officers including the gardaí seconded to the Department that the nature and purpose of the interview is explained. All officers identify themselves and explain their role.
They added that where a person believes they have not been treated fairly there are formal systems to manage and deal with complaints.
The department also insisted that the “vast majority of people” in receipt of welfare support are exercising their legitimate rights and receiving the appropriate payments.
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Always thought those claims were a little sketchy…
Typical American culture . They would lose weight by the very nature they might get up off their asses and do some walking in the damn things !
What sort of fool thinks shoes alone make you lose weight ? Oh right I’ll get the trainers and sit on the sofa eating nachos . If used for the purpose designed they can only be good .
My orthopedic surgeon actually recommended those Shape-Up shoes to me after a knee op. The curve of the sole is supposed to stop you from placing too much strain on any one part of the knee when standing for prolonged periods of time. I have to say, they seemed to do the trick for me.
I had a hip repair at the age of 52 and I found the these were the making of me I can walk so well with them I have not worn anything else since in almost 2 years and my recovery was so much easier because of the shape. I was using a stick to walk and was getting pain on short walks but within about 3-4 weeks I could walk for about an hour2 years on has anyone got any suggestions for my shoulder had a repair done with that but my sketchers will not fit the shoulder
Will there ever be a day when politicians can be fined for false and misleading claims?
:)
We wish
Was reading through the comments and thought to myself its nice not to read a post tying this article to the government and then I came across your one! ok ya we get it the government is shit but do ye need to constantly give out about them on unrelated articles?
Yip I wear nothing but MBTs or Skechers since getting 2 new hips and 2 new knees and am flying on them. Regular flat sole shoes puts way too much stress on the join and leaves muscles mort fatigued. They are pricey, but you can always shop about!
I don’t think companies in Ireland can get fined for misleading or false claims in adverts. Advertising Authority can only make them withdraw their adverts
But they did work for me I would not wear anything else now I have A pair of the shape up runners a black pair of black and a pair of White shoes all shape ups and I have 3 pair of the flip flops. So so comfortable and as someone said in an earlier post you can only shape up by doing exercise by getting up off the chair and doing some but I found that my sketchers help a great deal because I find them to be so comfortable
I wear Mephistos. They help me to lose weight because I have to work so many more hours to pay for them.
Sketchers don’t really care. The have dropped that shoe and are at it again with a new range of ‘conceptual shoes’. They probably make more than $40m profit in Irl & UK alone.
The US trade commission will probably go after Reebok Easytone next. Their ads were banned for the same reason. Apparently all their claims were based on a survey that one guy was paid to write.
The only footwear company who seem to have genuine scientific research is a small Swiss science company called SpringBoost, but they run the risk of vanishing into obscurity because they don’t have the marketing clout to cope with these big footwear companies dodgy advertising. Apparently, im some country’s you can get SpringBoost on the local VHI health scheme. Can’t see that happening in Ireland.
Shite shoes
great shoes 40euros in barrets in town
I thought that was they were supposed to do??! My bad!!
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