Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

We have overseen very significant expenditure on improving social welfare incomes this year. We focused in this regard on measures such as restoring the Christmas bonus and improving the fuel allowance scheme. Deputy O'Dea is proposing that we produce reports on the impact of changes in such schemes as the household benefits package. Has he forgotten those changes were introduced by Fianna Fáil in 2009 and 2010? I do not know whether the Deputy's party has had the opportunity to revisit what it did. Likewise, the withdrawal of benefits under the treatment benefits package was initiated by Fianna Fáil in government in 2009 and implemented in budget 2010. In the case of the bereavement grant, as I said at the time we introduced the change, we are focusing on dependants, with surviving spouses or civil partners being entitled to a payment of €6,000. In addition, we continue to give the payment for six weeks after the death of the individual. I thank the Deputy for his support for the changes we have made in respect of the carer's allowance, which have extended the payment period from six to 12 weeks after the death of the person to whom the care was provided.

The most important measures in this budget for many of the individuals who are affected by the changes under the schemes to which the Deputy's amendments refer are the €2.50 per week increase in the fuel allowance payment from 1 January and, more importantly, the payment of a Christmas bonus at the rate of 75%, which is the level it was at all during the 1980s, 1990s and through part of the 2000s. Single pensioners will shortly receive a payment of some €170, while pensioner couples will receive €320. As I have explained to Deputy O'Dea, in my engagement with organisations representing people on social welfare, there was a repeated expression of their strong desire to see the reinstatement of the Christmas bonus. For many people, the enhanced bonus will exceed any benefits they might have received under the schemes to which the Deputy referred.

Most of the information in regard to all of those schemes may be obtained by Deputies by way of routine parliamentary questions. I will be happy to supply the Deputy with any such details by that method. In addition, information may be sought by way of Topical Issue matters and other means where relevant. It is important to note that I do not recall any reference to any of these schemes in Fianna Fáil's pre-budget statement. The party proposed a change in regard to one of them but nothing about the others.

See this speech in context