Niall Hearty assesses the ongoing damage caused by fraud involving the government’s coronavirus schemes
Niall Hearty wrote a piece that assessed the scale and lasting impact of fraud related to government pandemic schemes.
In his piece, which was published by Lawyer Monthly, he details the billions that have been lost to fraud involving the government’s furlough, self-employment, Bounce Back Loan and Eat Out to Help Out schemes.
Niall argues that “a heavy price has been paid for weaknesses in the government’s financial initiatives for tackling the effects of Covid.’’
The estimated 25% recovery rate of the huge amounts lost, the limited efforts being made to recover them and criticism of the government prioritising payment speed when supporting small businesses are all highlighted by Niall.
He concludes by saying that the latest government efforts to try and recoup the lost money is like trying to “close a stable door after a very expensive horse has bolted.’’
Niall's article can be read on Lawyer Monthly.
