Cork court: Woman flew in and out of Ireland to collect thousands in welfare payments

A young Romanian woman who flew regularly into Ireland for the purpose of collecting a social welfare payment did not stop until she was arrested for stealing a total of over €10,000 in payments.

She was claiming a one-parent family payment to which she was not entitled simply because she was not resident in Ireland.

25-year-old mother of five, Romano Suciu, with an address at St James Terrace, Ballinacurra, Midleton, County Cork, became the subject of a complaint at Midleton garda station in respect of suspected social welfare fraud.

Detective Garda Ger O’Shaughnessy later brought charges against her for thefts by making the claim to which she was no longer entitled, from December 2015 to February 2017.

Although initially entitled to the payment, she was no longer entitled to it after she returned in to live in Romania.

The investigation examined flight dates and the pattern was clear that the accused was flying into country to sign on and claim welfare and then flying out a couple of days later.

Judge Helen Boyle said, “This is a breach of social contract. 

"Tax is paid to support other people from society who require the support. 

"It is stealing from the state and from people who would otherwise need this payment.

“You have no previous convictions. 

"You appear to have been very young when you had your first child and you are still very young.” 

The full amount of over €10,000 was repaid by the young woman. 

She is now based in the UK with her family and she is employed in the cleaning industry there.

Judge Boyle imposed an 18-month sentence but suspended the balance of it taking into consideration time already spent in custody.

The main condition of the suspension of the sentence is that she is to leave Ireland in the next three weeks and not return for a period of five years.