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The withdrawal of the Christmas bonus for welfare recipients would "ruin Christmas" for thousands of families as the Society of St Vincent de Paul predicted a 25 per cent increase in calls for help this Christmas period compared with last year, an Oireachtas Committee was told today.

National president of the Society, John Monaghan, also said any plan to introduce a 50c charge for prescription items for medical card holders was "utterly wrong".

Addressing the Joint Committee on Social and Family Affairs he said increases in social welfare benefits over the past decade had resulted in a "welcome drop in the number of people living in consistent poverty and at risk of poverty".

"Equally significantly though, right through the boom years the Society had to increase its spending from approximately €38 million in the early 2000s to €46 million in the mid 2000s and last year to over €50 million.

"So the question is if the welfare increases were sufficient why did the Society have to continue to help people each year?"

The withdrawal of the Christmas bonus was already causing a "surge" in calls for help from people. "Its loss will ruin Christmas for thousands of families who really depend on it every year, for such basics as food and heating over the holiday period.

"We estimate we will be supporting more than 100,000 people over the Christmas period alone - up from 80,000 last year."

The Society was "strongly opposed to the introduction of a prescription charge and other health charges," he said.