Galway Bay fm newsroom - Probes into welfare fraud in Galway yield an average saving of close to one thousand euro per investigation.
Figures from the Department of Social Welfare show that savings made in the west as a result of such investigations are among the highest nationwide.
Since 2012, the Department of Social Protection has carried out over 92 thousand reviews in Galway and Mayo.
The average saving per review in the two counties, which form the West division, is €856.
It's one of the highest figures nationwide - behind the Midlands North division which recorded savings of €912 per investigation, and Dublin Central at €1,291.
The figures refer to investigations into jobseekers allowance, one-parent family payment, the back-to-education scheme, the back-to-work scheme and the farm assist payment.
The lowest figures for fraud are found in the Midlands South division, where the average savings are just €368.
According to the Irish Mail on Sunday, more than 2.6 billion euro has been saved as a result of a fraud clampdown over the past 5 years.
