Jackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail)
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543. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if the Christmas bonus for those in receipt of social welfare will be paid this year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28765/20]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The Christmas Bonus payment is made to long-term social welfare recipients, such as pensioners, carers, people with disabilities, lone parents and long-term unemployed people who rely wholly or mainly on their social welfare payments for financial support.

As is the case every year, the payment of a Christmas Bonus is a discretionary decision made by Government in the context of the annual Budget process and available resources. Any decision to pay the bonus this year will be made in an overall budgetary context, and announced as part of Budget 2021.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.