The Taoiseach has dismissed reports that the Christmas Bonus will not be paid to social welfare recipients this year.

Reports this morning suggested the Social Protection Minister Regina Doherty was considering holding back on the bonus due to cuts in the next month’s budget.

Responding to questioning from Fianna Fáil in the Dáil this afternoon, the Taoiseach Leo Varadkar insisted the payment will be made.

“The Christmas bonus is really important, particularly for people who are on low and fixed incomes,” he said.

“It gives pensioners an opportunity to buy presents for their grandchildren.

“It gives people on very low incomes an opportunity to meet the inevitable bills that come with Christmas.  

“I can assure the deputies that the Christmas bonus will be paid this year.”

Earlier the Minister Doherty lashed out at what she called “cheap headlines” and said she had “absolutely no intention” of discontinuing the payment.

“Despite the fake news headline produced in a newspaper this morning, I would like to put at ease the minds of the hundreds of thousands of people who have been absolutely needlessly worried this morning because of that contribution by that particular paper - and anybody else who contributed to it - that I have absolutely no intention of discontinuing the Christmas bonus for any social welfare recipient,” she said.

“It is disingenuous of anybody to try to grab a cheap headline at the expense of people who have no other income, other than their weekly fixed income from the Department of Social Welfare, and totally rely on the Christmas bonus.  

“I can guarantee that whoever did so has never had to live on a fixed income in their life.”

The Christmas bonus was paid to 1.2 million people last year.

Responding to a Parliamentary Question from Sinn Féin deputy John Brady last June, Minister Doherty said the bonus – currently equal to 85% of a weekly payment – cost the Exchequer €218.6m last year.

She said increasing the bonus to 100% of the weekly payment would cost €257m.

She said there is “no provision in the 2018 Revised Estimates” for the payment of the bonus this year – however she made it clear that this has been the case every year since 2014.

The bonus was paid at a rate of 25% in 2014 and increased to 75% in 2015 before a further increase to 85% in 2016 and 2017.