Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I will also say that it was a useful and positive intervention in the budget. I acknowledge that. Some members of this committee recommended it and it will make a significant difference.

One final point occurred to me there, and this is a slightly unusual one. I do not totally understand the logic of it myself. I refer to the Christmas and the spring bonus for the illness benefit. It was communicated publicly that a person had to be on it for 12 months in order to receive the bonus. I had a constituent who was on it for 12 months and maybe some light can be thrown on this. In a way that was not advertised widely, she was refused both payments because she did not have enough claim days. They needed to have 312 claim days prior to 27 November, or 360 claim days prior to 21 January. She was approximately 50 days short of the adequate number of claim days. She did have the paid contributions; she had 104 paid contributions. She was on illness benefit for 12 months, so it does not seem to be quite fair to me. It certainly does not seem consistent with the message that had been communicated in relation to illness benefit claimants and both bonuses. It seems a bit illogical to me, but maybe light can be cast on it.