Athlone based Senator, Gabrielle McFadden has dismissed as “fake news” a story in some national media outlets that the Christmas bonus for old age pensioners and social welfare recipients was to be axed.
“I have spoken to the Minister for Social Protection, Regina Doherty this morning and she has assured me that she has no intention of discontinuing the Christmas bonus for any social welfare recipient.
“My major concern is for those who woke up this morning to this lie and were put through a day of worry for no reason at all. This payment affects hundreds of thousands of people nationwide and to cause them unnecessary worry is a very mean and disingenuous thing to do," Senator McFadden noted.
The Senator alluded that members of the political apposition were seeking a headline story in this regard.
“It is the act of an opposition devoid of ideas and willing to make up stories to get attention. The fact that certain newspapers and online news outlets decided to run with this story shows their willingness to chase a cheap headline at the expense of the truth. A simple phone call could have found the truth.
“Fianna Fáil did axe this payment a number of years ago, but this Government brought it back in 2014 and increased it twice since then and we have no intention of getting rid of it," the Senator concluded.
