Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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507. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if the criteria of the yearly bonus payment for those on a long term payment is classed at 15 months or 455 days as opposed to 12 months; the date on which it changed; the rationale for same; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52807/17]

Seán Haughey (Dublin Bay North, Fianna Fail)
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508. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the reason persons that only became unemployed within the past 15 months are not eligible for the Christmas bonus whereas persons that are unemployed for more than 15 months are eligible for it; her views on whether this is unfair on persons that have been successful in their efforts to secure employment during or prior to this 15 months time frame but that become redundant; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52820/17]

Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 507 and 508 together.

I was pleased to announce on Budget Day that an 85% Christmas bonus was to be paid this year to over 1.2 million long-term social welfare recipients, such as pensioners, people with disabilities, carers, lone parents and long-term jobseekers at a cost of €219 million.

The Christmas bonus was introduced in 1980 for certain social welfare schemes and was extended to long-term jobseekers in 1985. The duration requirement of 15 months (or 390 days for jobseeker’s allowance, as the cumulative total of days is based on a six day week) has been in place since then. There has been no change to the duration criteria.

The bonus is paid to long-term recipients of jobseeker’s allowance in recognition of their long-term financial dependence on the social welfare payment for all or most of their income.

It should be noted that time spent on jobseeker’s benefit prior to receipt of jobseeker’s allowance is taken into account in calculating the duration of unemployment. In addition, in cases where a person ceases their jobseeker’s payment to take up work but the work ends and the person signs on to a jobseeker’s payment again within one year, there is no break in the cumulative total days of unemployment. In this regard, taking up temporary employment does not have a negative impact on the person’s eligibility for the Bonus.