An identity card currently held by more than two million people has so far prevented just €2.5million worth of welfare fraud, figures from the Department of Social Protection show. Public services cards, the issuing of which will have cost €60 million by the end of the year, were first provided to social welfare customers and people claiming certain State benefits... Official (anti-fraud) savings up to October as a result of registering customers through face-to-face process for the card were €2.58 million, according to departmental records released under the Freedom of Information Act. Some 2.23 million cards had been issued at that time.