Independent Ireland’s Ken O’Flynn has raised concerns that child benefit payments are continuing to be made to individuals who have left Ireland, due to delays in how eligibility is checked.
The warning follows a response from the Department of Social Protection confirming that no additional verification measures are planned, despite a rise in overpayments linked to recipients no longer living in the State.
The Department said €2.1 billion is paid annually in child benefit to 675,000 recipients in respect of 1.26 million children. However, eligibility is primarily assessed through periodic reviews, with Continuing Eligibility Certificates issued every 12 to 18 months.
The Cork North Central TD said the system’s reliance on delayed checks creates a clear gap where payments may continue after a person has left the country.
“The issue is simple. If someone leaves Ireland, the system is not responding quickly enough to stop payments,” he said.
Figures provided by the Department show that overpayments linked to absence from the State have increased from 1,636 cases in 2023 to 1,867 in 2025.
“This is a consistent upward trend. It points to a system that is not keeping pace with real-world movement,” he said.
Deputy O’Flynn said the absence of real-time verification is difficult to justify given the scale of the scheme.
“We are spending €2.1 billion each year, yet we do not have a system that can confirm in real time whether someone still meets the residency conditions. That is a structural weakness,” he said.
He stressed that the issue is one of oversight and fairness, rather than criticism of those entitled to support.
“Social protection must support those who need it. But it must also be properly administered. Where payments continue after eligibility has ended, it undermines confidence and diverts funding from those who are entitled to it,” he said.
Deputy O’Flynn has called for improved data sharing between State agencies and the introduction of more timely verification measures to ensure payments cease when eligibility conditions are no longer met.
He said he will continue to raise the matter through parliamentary questions, with a focus on enforcement, recovery of overpayments, and audit findings.