Donegal Now: Christmas bonus should be restored says Donegal TD

Independent TD Thomas Pringle called for the Christmas Bonus to be restored to those who have faced the brunt of cutbacks.

He said: “There is no doubt that the return of this bonus, which was equivalent to 100% of the normal weekly payment, would have a massive impact on many people including pensioners, one parent families, the unemployed and carers who rely heavily on their social welfare payments and have faced a lot of hardship in recent years.

“I don’t think double what they get in one week for Christmas is a lot to ask for and I know for a fact that the hardship people are going through in Donegal and all over the country has made it impossible for people reliant on these payments to save for Christmas, with some getting themselves into serious debt from taking out loans.”

Deputy Pringle said the measure would cost €260 million but that did not take into account revenue generated through people spending the bonus.

“When this payment was scrapped in 2009 Labour said that Fianna Fáil had cancelled Christmas,” said Deputy Pringle. “It’s now in Labour and Fine Gael’s hands to relieve some of the pressure that has been unfairly put on these people’s shoulders, and I commend fellow independent TD Patrick Nulty for putting this issue on the table.”

The Donegal Southwest TD said he would be putting pressure on the government to reintroduce the Christmas Bonus. He is encouraging people in Donegal to contact their government TDs in relation to this issue.

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