More than twenty employees at the Department of Social Protection face the sack for offences ranging from suspected fraud, breaking data protection rules and not turning up to work.

Briefing documents prepared for Leo Varadkar, the new minister for social protection, have revealed that 23 employees of the department are facing disciplinary proceedings, including four suspected of fraud and misappropriating funds.

Six others have been suspended on full pay as a result of possible data breaches and non-compliance with data protection procedures.

Last year the department reported 51 new cases of alleged data protection breaches, in addition to 24 cases that there were carried over from the previous year.

An investigation showed that data protection rules had been broken in 37 cases. No evidence of a breach was found in 24 cases, while inquiries are ongoing in 14 cases.