Willie O'Dea (Limerick City, Fianna Fail)
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458. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the estimated full-year cost in 2017 of restoring the Christmas bonus to 75% and 100% of its previous rate; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22639/16]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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The Christmas Bonus was abolished in 2009. The Bonus was partially reintroduced in 2014 with the payment of a 25% Bonus. A 75% Bonus was paid last December to some 1.2 million long-term social welfare recipients, including pensioners, people with disabilities, carers and the long-term unemployed, in recognition of their financial dependence on their social welfare payments.

The cost of a 75% and 100% Bonus is estimated to cost approximately €200 million and €267 million respectively. It should be noted that these costings are subject to change over the coming months in the context of emerging trends and associated revision of the estimated numbers of recipients for December 2016.