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There will be no Christmas bonus for pensioners and social welfare recipients this year, the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection Regina Doherty will reveal today.

Doherty has already been criticised for the move, which will affect over one million Irish people.

The bonus has been paid for the past four years and last year it was worth up to 85% of the regular payment.

This morning, the minister will tell the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection that there is "no provision" for a bonus in the budget for 2018, the Irish Mirror reports.

However, she will go on to explain that all hope is not lost.

"In the past four years, the Government was ultimately in a position to pay the bonus given the continuing improvement in the financial position," her presentation reads.

"I will continue to monitor the financial position and consult with my colleagues and I am hopeful that we will be in a position to pay a Christmas bonus again this year."

Social Protection Committee member Ged Nash hit out at the decision to scrap the payment.

"I am appealing to Fine Gael not to act like Scrooge and to commit now to to paying the full Christmas bonus this year," he said.

"Last year, it was set at 85% of the weekly rate and was paid to 1.2 million citizens.

"This payment is crucial to take some pressure off some of the lowest income households in Ireland.

"It must be fully restored and become what it used to be; a double-payment to help lighten the load at Christmas time."

The bonus was initially cut by Fianna Fáil as Ireland struggled through the recession in 2009.

It was then partly brought back in 2014 by then Minister for Social Protection, Joan Burton.

The payment is generally received in the first week of Decemember, going out to 1.2 people across the country.