Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)
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Question 179: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if it is intended to pay the Christmas bonus to welfare recipients in the normal way, at the normal rate and at the normal time. [37613/08]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The Christmas Bonus is paid to all recipients of long-term social welfare payments. The payment will be made this year, at an estimated cost of €201 million and will benefit some 1.3 million persons comprising 940,000 recipients and 400,000 dependents. The focus of the bonus has always been on persons who rely on the social welfare system for financial support over the long term. These include recipients of:

Blind Pension,

Carer's Allowance,

Carer's Benefit

Death Benefit by way of pension,

Disability Allowance,

Disablement Pension,

Farm Assist,

Guardian's Payment (Contributory and Non-Contributory),

Invalidity Pension,

Jobseeker's Allowance in respect of a continuous period of unemployment of at least 15 months,

One-parent Family Payment,

Pre-Retirement Allowance,

Deserted Wife's Benefit and Allowance,

Prisoner's Wife's Allowance,

State Pension (Contributory and Non-Contributory),

State Pension (Transition),

Widow's and Widower's (Contributory) Pension, and

Widow's and Widower's (Non-Contributory) Pension.

The bonus is also payable to recipients of certain income support payments administered by the Ministers for Health and Children, Education and Science, Enterprise, Trade and Employment and Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs.

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 180: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the monthly payments of child benefit for a parent of triplets aged 17 years who will be still at school until 2010; if she will compare these payments to the appropriate payments applicable as a result of budget 2009 giving details of the amount they would have got and the amount they will receive based on budget 2009 changes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37620/08]

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 181: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the number of families that are in receipt of child benefit (details supplied). [37621/08]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 180 and 181 together.

The current rate of Child Benefit is €166 for the 1st and 2nd child and €203 for the 3rd and subsequent children. Twins are paid at one and a half times the normal rate and other multiple births at twice the normal rate.

In the example referred to, assuming the children are the only eligible children in the family, the current rate of payment is €1,070 per month. From January 2009, children over 18 years will be paid at half the normal rate, in the case of triplets this would mean a payment of €535 from the month after their 18th birthday.

Child Benefit will not be payable in respect of children over 18 years from January 2010. A compensatory payment to parents in receipt of a Social Welfare payment, whose child benefit is reduced for children over 18 years, will be introduced from January 2009. The number of multiple births in payment for Child Benefit at end September 2008 was 14,783 twins, 345 triplets, 16 quadruplets and 1 quintuplets.