Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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Question 458: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the number of people who will be affected if the Christmas bonus is cancelled in 2009 on a county basis. [37281/09]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The Department estimates that approximately 985,000 people would be entitled to the bonus this year, though actual entitlement would depend on each individual's circumstances on the date on which it would have been paid. It is not possible to estimate the county of residence of each person who might have been eligible for it. The Christmas bonus is paid to long-term recipients of certain social welfare schemes. Information on the total number of recipients of each scheme on a county by county basis, including but not limited to those who would ordinarily be entitled to the Christmas bonus, is published in the Department's annual statistical report. The report "Statistical Information on Social Welfare Services 2009", which will be published next year, will provide data to the end of 2009.