Social Welfare Payments into Bank Account

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In the Uk this has dealt a hammer blow to many post offices while relieving people of the need to join a huge queue to collect something from the post office.

Is this the way to go in Ireland and pay it into a recepients bank account for standard payments like pensions, child allowance etc with obvious controls to limit fraud or does this happen already ?

Actually it hasn't as many social welfare claimants didn't have bank accounts or the credit history to set one up, the PO setup a new card account system in conjunction with the DSW which enabled these claimants to set up PO accounts for recieving from payment through the PO, if all payment in Ireland where made under a similar system then it would stop abuse, as the person would have to attend the PO to draw money.