Employment « Thurles Information

Social Welfare Recipients Will Begin Receiving Christmas Bonuses Today.

Christmas Bonus Arrives As Inflation Bites For Households This Winter.

As consumer prices in Ireland rise steeply, the annual Christmas Bonus is arriving for long-term social welfare recipients, offering timely relief for many households under pressure.

The latest figures from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) show that inflation, measured by the Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices (HICP), increased by 3.2 % in the 12 months to November 2025.

Prices for food rose by approximately 4.2 % over the past year, while energy costs climbed about 3.3 %, placing considerable strain on household budgets.

Recognising the challenge posed by rising costs, especially for essentials such as food and heating, the Department of Social Protection has initiated payment of the 2025 Christmas Bonus. Some 1.5 million long-term welfare recipients, including pensioners, carers, people with disabilities, lone parents and others on qualifying social welfare schemes, will receive a one-off bonus equal to 100 % of their typical weekly payment. The total value of the payments is estimated at €370 million.

The Bonus will be paid automatically on the same day recipients normally receive their weekly welfare payment, ensuring immediate support without additional paperwork.

While the Christmas Bonus cannot erase the full impact of elevated inflation, it does represents a significant short-term boost as households contend with higher costs during the winter and holiday season. In this context, the payment helps ease the burden on those most vulnerable to rising living costs.

Thurles Planning Alert From Tipperary County Council.

Application Ref: 2561146.
Applicant: Catherine Yeung.
Development Address: 49 Ikerrin Court , Thurles , Co. Tipperary.
Development Description: To construct an extension to the side of my dwelling with all associated siteworks.
Status: N/A.
Application Received: 12/11/2025.
Decision Date: N/A.
Further Details: http://www.eplanning.ie/TipperaryCC/AppFileRefDetails/2561146/0

Write-Off’s On Welfare Payments Total More Than €15 Million Over Two Years.

Irish Taxpayers have carried the cost of more than €15 million in incorrect welfare payments over the past two years.

In the year 2024 alone, the Department of Social Protection (DSP) wrote off €7.97 million, up from €7.64 million in 2023. These write-offs occur when overpayments are deemed irrecoverable; for example, where the recipient has died or the cost of pursuing same outweighs likely recovery.

Approximately 75% of the write-off’s relate to individuals who are deceased; smaller amounts (typically under €100) are also cancelled when recovery is judged uneconomical. The DSP operates a structured debt-management policy, issuing annual statements to claimants and reserving the right to reopen a case, if a recipient’s financial circumstances improve.

Of the 2024 total, nearly €3.1 million was attributed to non-contributory state pensions, while some €1.44 million related to the contributory state pension, and around €841,000 to illness benefits. Other six-figure losses include invalidity pensions, jobseeker’s benefit, widows/widowers’ pensions and one-parent-family payments.

Over the same 2023-24 period, welfare overpayments in total amounted to €273 million, with a marked rise from €115.8 million in 2023 to €157.5 million in 2024. These overpayments stem from instances of false or misleading information by claimants, as well as errors by either applicants or the department itself.

The DSP states that overpayments in any year account for less than 0.5 per cent of total welfare expenditure. In 2023 the department recovered more than €87 million, and in 2024 the figure rose to just over €100 million.

Where overpayments occur, the DSP seeks full recovery, while balancing collection efforts with fair treatment of claimants with limited means. Deductions of up to 15 per cent of ongoing welfare payments may be made. If a debtor is in full-time employment and refuses to repay, an “attachment of earnings” order may be considered. The department emphasises it will strive to avoid causing “undue financial hardship” in any repayment plan.

Next Week – 96 Additional Beds Will Become Available At UHL.

University Hospital Limerick (UHL) is set to open 96 additional beds in the coming days, in what health officials say marks the first step in a long-term plan to ease chronic overcrowding at the Mid West Region’s main hospital.

The €96 million development, which has been under construction over the past three years, will deliver 96 single en-suite rooms, all of which are new bed stock. It is understood the unit will be fully staffed once it becomes operational next week.

This is the first of three 96-bed blocks planned for the UHL campus, with the second expected to open in 2027 and the third in the 2030s.

UHL has consistently been ranked the country’s most overcrowded hospital. This morning, figures from the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) recorded 86 patients waiting on trolleys across the hospital’s emergency department and wards, while on the previous day, the figure stood at 118.

The hospital has come under repeated scrutiny from the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA), which has found UHL to be understaffed and posing significant risks to patient safety. Inspections reported that patient dignity and privacy were routinely compromised in the overcrowded emergency department.

Public concern over safety at UHL intensified following the death of 16-year-old Ms Aoife Johnston in December 2022. An independent review by former Chief Justice Frank Clarke concluded her death was “almost certainly avoidable” after she waited 13.5 hours for life-saving medication. The report warned that without urgent action to address staffing and capacity, further avoidable deaths would remain an “inevitable” risk.

The emergency department at UHL is the only 24-hour facility serving the Mid West region-covering North Tipperary, Limerick, Clare, and parts of Cork and Kerry – since a controversial reconfiguration of services by Fianna Fáil government, back in 2009.
Campaign groups, including families bereaved at the hospital, continue to call for additional emergency departments to be established in the region.

Irish Government Appoint New Director General Of Forensic Science.

Irish Government announce the appointment of Dr Ciarán Seoighe as Director General of Forensic Science Ireland (FSI). His appointment will take over from his predecessor Mr Chris Enright, with effect from October 6th next, 2025.

Dr Seoighe brings senior experience in the fields of science and research, most recently as Deputy CEO of Taighde Éireann – Research Ireland. Dr Seoighe joined Science Foundation Ireland in 2018, which amalgamated with the Irish Research Council to form Taighde Éireann in 2024.

He has led the Strategy and Transformation Directorate and played a key role in shaping Ireland’s strategic direction in areas such as artificial intelligence (AI) and emerging technologies.

Prior to this appointment, Dr Seoighe spent nearly two decades as a global management consultant, advising leading organisations across ICT, finance and more.