Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats)
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448. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the cost to the Exchequer for every extra week the fuel allowance is payable at current rates. [27450/16]

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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451. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the projected cost increase in 2017 if Child Benefit were increased by €30 for children aged 12 years or older. [27515/16]

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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458. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the cost in 2017 of increasing both State pensions by €10 per week; and the cost of full restoration of the Christmas bonus to pensioners. [27522/16]

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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459. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the projected cost in 2017 of increasing basic social protection payments by €10 per week. [27523/16]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 448, 451, 458 and 459 together.

The estimated cost of increasing the duration of fuel allowance by one week per annum is estimated at €8.8 million in a full year.

The estimated cost of a €30 increase in the rate of Child Benefit, in respect of children aged 12 and over, is €135 million in a full year.

A €10 increase in the weekly rates of payment to those aged 66 and over is estimated to cost €298 million in a full year. This cost includes a proportionate increase for recipients with qualified adults and for those on reduced rates of payment. The weekly payments concerned include:

-State Pension Contributory

-Widow/er's or Surviving Civil Partner's (Con) Pension – aged 66 or over

-Deserted Wife's Benefit – aged 66 or over

-Death Benefit Pension – aged 66 or over

- State Pension Non Contributory

-Carer's Allowance – aged 66 or over

- Half Rate Carer's Allowance – aged 66 or over

The Christmas Bonus was abolished in 2009. It was partially reintroduced in 2014 with a 25% Bonus payment. A 75% Bonus was paid in December 2015 to some 1.2 million long-term social welfare recipients such as pensioners, people with disabilities, carers and the long-term unemployed at a cost of €197 million. The cost of full (100%) Christmas bonus to those aged 66 and over in December 2016 (recipients of the payments listed above) is estimated at approximately €144 million.

The estimated cost of a €10 increase in all weekly Social Protection payments is estimated at €698.5 million in a full year. This cost includes a proportionate increase for recipients with qualified adults and for those on reduced rates of payment.

The above costings are on a full year basis and assume that, where relevant, each increase is implemented from the beginning of January. It should be noted that these costings are subject to change over the coming weeks in the context of emerging trends and associated revision of the estimated numbers of recipients for 2017.