Allegations that the Government is falsifying unemployment figures have been vehemently rejected by the Minister for Social and Family Affairs, Ms Coughlan.
Fine Gael's spokesman, Mr Michael Ring, made the accusation when he said that dole officers were refusing evidence from unemployment claimants that they were actively seeking work. They then had to go to health boards for money. "All that is happening is that they are being paid by one State agency instead of another," he claimed.
Ms Coughlan rejected the allegations as unwarranted and untrue, and said that the "days of people running to employers to request letters because a social welfare investigative officer was asking a few hard questions are gone".
Mr Ring said that claimants were bringing letters to social welfare officers showing that they have been actively seeking work. "If somebody produces three, four or five letters to the social welfare officer, how can that officer say that person is not actively seeking work?" he demanded.
"The Minister is falsifying the unemployment figures because when people bring evidence to social welfare officers which is not accepted by them, they have to get money from the health board."
The Minister said that she was satisfied social welfare officers were exercising judgment and operating the requirement of availability for full-time work in a reasonable manner.
However, the Fine Gael spokesman believed that "somebody will take the Minister and her Department to court on the basis that the genuine evidence they produced was not accepted".
Mr Ring said that "some officers are telling people that seeking work 20, 25 or 30 miles away is acceptable despite the fact that some of them do not have transport".
The Minister said she appreciated there were difficulties in getting employment in parts of Mr Ring's Mayo constituency.
If individuals had a personal issue, they were free to take their case to an appeals officer. "Reason must prevail on both sides," the Minister said.
