Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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128. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the reason persons receiving illness benefit will not receive a Christmas bonus; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40228/16]

Finian McGrath (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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The payment of the 85% Christmas bonus, at an estimated cost of over €220 million, will benefit approximately 1.2 million recipients including domiciliary care allowance recipients, social welfare pensioners, the long term unemployed, carers, people with disabilities and lone parents. It is intended that the bonus, payment of which commenced in the first week of December, will benefit those who rely either wholly or mainly on their social welfare payments for financial support.

Illness benefit (IB), is primarily a short-term scheme and as such has never been a qualifying payment for the purpose of the Christmas bonus; recipients of long-term disability payments are eligible.

I hope this answers the Deputy’s question.