Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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568. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the estimated cost of providing a Christmas bonus at 100% and 85% respectively to all long term social welfare recipients; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41331/17]

Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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Last December, an 85% Christmas Bonus was paid 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 for all or most of their income.

The cost of a 100% or 85% Bonus is estimated at approximately €260 million and €221 million respectively in 2017. It should be noted that this cost is subject to change over the coming months in the context of emerging trends and associated revision of the estimated numbers of recipients for December 2017.

As the Deputy would be aware, there is no provision in the 2017 Revised Estimates for the payment of a Christmas Bonus. Any decision taken regarding the payment of a Bonus in 2017 will have to be consistent with the legal requirements set out in the Fiscal Responsibility Acts 2012 and 2013, and within the context of achieving the targets set for Ireland by the EU rules.