Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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165. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the reason arrangements for double payment of social welfare recipients are not made on consecutive days up to 23 December 2022; the engagement which her Department has had with postmasters on this issue; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [62386/22]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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As in previous years, my Department staggers payments over the Christmas holiday period to cater for post offices, banks and credit unions being closed. This Christmas, double payments will be made in the week commencing Monday 19th of December. This ensures that people will receive their payments even though financial institutions and post offices are closed on Monday 26th, Tuesday 27th and Wednesday 28th December. Post offices, which are usually open on Saturday mornings, are also closed this year on Saturday 31st of December.

As the week leading up to Christmas Day is usually busy in post offices, there is a long-standing arrangement with An Post to bring payments forward in order to better manage footfall and to pay people an extra few days in advance to give them additional time to carry out their Christmas shopping.

The scheduling of the double week payments being made in the week commencing Monday 19 December 2022 is as follows:

- Friday 23rd December payments will be brought forward to Thursday 22nd December

- Thursday 22nd December payments will be brought forward to Wednesday 21st December.

- There is no change to payments due Monday 19th, Tuesday 20th and Wednesday 21st of December.

- Monday 2nd January 2023 payments will be paid on Friday 30th December 2022.

The Christmas payment arrangements were agreed by my Department in advance with An Post and follow similar payment schedules which have operated successfully for many years.

The Department of Social Protection’s contract for the provision of cash payment services is with An Post. The working arrangements of the postmasters is entirely a matter for the company. It would be inappropriate for my Department to involve itself in those matters.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.