The number of people who lost their unemployment payments because they were not seriously looking for a job has fallen by about half in recent years, new figures show.
Some 13, 567 people were disallowed payments in 2000 because it was found that they were not genuinely seeking work or were not available for work.
This number had fallen to 8,829 last year and was just 5,812 for the first eight months of this year.
Mr Leonard Burke, principal officer at the Department of Social and Family Affairs, outlined the figures to the joint Oireachtas Committee on Social and Family Affairs yesterday.
He said the practice of referring claimants to FÁS after six months on the live register helped to explain the fall in numbers.
The committee also heard that, from next month, signing on at a Garda station will no longer be necessary for people living too far from their local social welfare office.
Until now, unemployment payment claimants living more than six miles from their local office had to sign on at a Garda station once a month.
From now on, people living less than 10 miles from their local office will have to travel to that office. Alternative arrangements will be put in place for those living farther away.
The number of people claiming unemployment benefit has increased recently, but this was explained by the buoyant economy, where people moved between jobs. The payment is based on social insurance contributions.
The number claiming unemployment assistance, which is means-tested, has fallen from 102,640 in 1999 to 79,864 last year.
The committee also heard that 350 cases had been taken this year by the Department of Social and Family Affairs against people making fraudulent claims.
Ms Maureen Waldron, principal officer at the Department of Social and Family Affairs, said the Department had a policy of prosecuting every case of fraud discovered. However, some exceptions were made.
Some 600 officers around the State were working on detecting fraudulent claims, she said.
Ms Waldron said it was difficult to establish the success of this work as the number of people working while signing on was unknown.
However, the Department's liaison with the Revenue Commissioners meant that when someone started work they now became aware of it. That had greatly reduced these claims, she said.
