Brendan Griffin (Kerry, Fine Gael)
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572. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the cost of the Christmas bonus by county; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49880/19]

Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The Christmas Bonus, paid to over 1.2 million long-term social welfare recipients, is estimated to cost over €279 million in 2019. This cost comprises nearly €123 million for social assistance scheme recipients and over €156 million for Social Insurance Fund scheme recipients.

The estimated cost per county, detailed in the following table, is based on the number of recipients by eligible scheme for the Christmas Bonus in the respective counties.

There is approximately €3.9m of the Christmas Bonus estimated cost due to pensioners who are in receipt of a contributory pension and who live outside Ireland.