Martin Ferris (Kerry North, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 118: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if her attention has been drawn to the fact that most pensioners use the Christmas bonus to heat their homes over the extended Christmas period. [40669/09]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Each year the Government makes a decision on the payment of the Christmas Bonus having regard to the prevailing economic circumstances. This year it has been necessary for the Government to take steps to reduce overall public expenditure so as to restore order and stability to the public finances. In this context, the decision was made that the Christmas Bonus would not be paid in 2009.

The Government recognises that there are additional pressures on people dependent on social welfare payments during the winter months. The national fuel allowance scheme provides assistance to householders on long-term social welfare or health service executive payments with meeting the cost of their heating needs during the winter season. The allowance represents a contribution towards a person's normal heating expenses. It is not intended to meet those costs in full.

This year €400 million has been allocated to national fuel allowance scheme to support approximately 334,000 long-term social welfare recipients with fuel bills over the winter months. In last year's Budget I increased the value of the fuel allowance by €2 per week to €20 per week from January 2009 with a n additional €3.90 per week paid to those in smokeless fuel areas. I also extended the duration of the scheme by 2 weeks so that the fuel allowance will be paid for 32 weeks a year.

Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 120: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the facilities she plans to put in place to assist community welfare officers to deal with the extra workload from applications from people in hardship in winter 2009 if the Christmas bonus is not awarded to social welfare recipients; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40646/09]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Each year the Government makes a decision on the payment of the Christmas Bonus having regard to the prevailing economic circumstances. This year it has been necessary for the Government to take steps to reduce overall public expenditure so as to restore order and stability to the public finances.

In this context, the decision was made that the Christmas Bonus would not be paid in 2009. The decision was announced in the April 2009 Supplementary Budget to give people advance notice so that they could adjust their finances accordingly.

The supplementary welfare allowance scheme is administered by the community welfare division of the Health Service Executive (HSE) on behalf of the department. The operational arrangements for processing of applications and payment to qualifying individuals, is a matter for the respective community welfare division areas.

The issue of any increased demand that may arise this winter on existing resources is a matter for the HSE in the first instance to prioritise workloads and redeploy resources where necessary so that frontline services are maintained. The question of any increase in expenditure for staffing within the community welfare service above that currently provided would have to be considered in the context of overall Government policy on public service manpower levels.