Committee Reports > List of Committees > Dáil > 1950 > Committee of Public Accounts > Report - Appropriation Accounts 1946 - 1947

APPENDIX X.

ISSUES OF FOOD VOUCHERS IN EXCESS OF TITLE AT LOCAL OFFICES OF THE DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL WELFARE AND AT POST OFFICES.

Rúnaí,

Coiste um Chuntais Poiblí.

Referring to my reply to the question from the Chairman of the Committee regarding the number of local offices which were responsible for the over-issue of food vouchers referred to in the note to the Appropriation Account for Unemployment Insurance and Unemployment Assistance for 1946-47, I find that the number was 34. A list of the offices concerned is attached.

In eleven cases involving over-payments of Unemployment Assistance as well as over-issues of food vouchers there was evidence of negligence. Nine officers were concerned, and as a disciplinary measure they were required to make refunds subject to a maximum of 5 per cent. of weekly salary in each case. The amounts so refunded were treated as recoveries of Unemployment Assistance over-payments.

As regards the apparent increase in the number of unauthorised food vouchers issued from year to year it is pointed out that the numbers for the various years given in the note to the Appropriation Account are the over-issues in those years which came to light during 1946-47. The figures given for 1945-46 and earlier years are additional to the figures for those years recorded in previous Appropriation Accounts.

The note appended to the Appropriation Account for Vote 68 covers the transactions referred to above and, in addition, over-issues equivalent to 718 single unit vouchers made during 1946-47 at Post Offices to recipients of Old Age Pensions and Widows’ and Orphans’ Pensions.

The sum of £37 1s. shown under the head of Extra Exchequer Receipts for Vote 68 relates to Post Office over-issues and was all recovered from Post Office officials in cases where the Department of Posts and Telegraphs did not consider that the circumstances warranted the waiver of the value of the vouchers.

Department of Social Welfare.

30ú Iúil, 1948.

List of Local Offices concerned in the Food Voucher over-issues recorded in 1946-47.