Doubt has been cast on whether the Christmas bonus payment for social welfare recipients will be made this year.
A spokeswoman for the Department of Social and Family Affairs told The Irish Timestoday that a decision would be made "shortly" on the payment but could not say if a that decision would be taken today or not. "We're expecting a decision on this shortly", the spokeswoman said.
Some 1.3 million social welfare recipients and their dependants usually benefit from the Christmas bonus double payment which is normally paid in the first week of December.
The bonus is equivalent to 100 per cent of the normal weekly payment and means a double payment of entitlements for all who qualify. Last year's payment was the eighth year in a row in which the Government provided the Christmas bonus.
Eligible social welfare payments include the State pension; widow's and widower's pension; guardian's payment; invalidity pension; blind pension; deserted wife's benefit; carer's allowance and benefit; disability allowance; farm assist; long-term jobseeker's allowance and a number of other employment support payments. People on certain Fás, Vtos and community employment schemes also receive the double payment.
However, doubt was cast on the payment today amid the deteriorating economic situation.
Labour’s Roisín Shortall this morning called on the Minister for Social and Family Affairs Mary Hanafin to provide clarity on the issue.
“On two days in succession, Labour asked the Tánaiste Mary Coughlan, in the Dáil, whether Christmas welfare payments were to be paid as normal, or whether they were to subject to a cutback,” she said.
“Ominously, on both occasions the Tánaiste failed to avail of the opportunity to clarify this matter. For the sake of welfare recipients, for whom Christmas is a particularly difficult and stressful time, Minister Hanafin must clear this matter up once and for all.”
Bríd O'Brien of the Irish National Organisation of the Unemployed said it would be "dreadful" if the payment was withheld.
"There is a tradition of giving that payment and a lot of poor families would be planning their Christmas on the assumption that they will get [it]," she said. "We would be calling on the Government to provide the payment as it would be unfair on a very vulnerable group not to do so."
