Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)

As I said, some 834,000 people already get the bonus. The distinction was made many years ago between long-term and short-term recipients. It was decided that long-term people would get the bonus and short-term people would not. The Deputy is quite right in that disability benefit is a short-term scheme. However, there can be an anomaly in that many people can be on a short-term scheme for a long time. I take that point. The proposal the Deputy has in mind is six months, equivalent to 42,400 people, which would cost €6.75 million. If one could ring-fence that, I would be interested in looking at it. One must be careful in pulling the thread of short-term schemes, however, because it could open them to another 200,000 people if all were to be included. That would involve a bill for €31 million for which there is no particular demand at present. I acknowledge that it is a short-term scheme and some people can be on it for a year or two. They have the option of moving to an invalidity pension after one year. If they receive that pension, they will get the bonus. The option exists but they must pass a medical test to avail of it. Many people who are on benefit for 12 months transfer to the invalidity pension and they then get the bonus. There is an issue there which I will continue to study.

See this speech in context