S.I. No. 130/1979:

SOCIAL WELFARE (TREATMENT BENEFIT) (AMENDMENT) REGULATIONS, 1979.

SOCIAL WELFARE (TREATMENT BENEFIT) (AMENDMENT) REGULATIONS, 1979.

The Minister for Social Welfare, in exercise of the powers conferred on him by sections 3 and 25 (1) of the Social Welfare Act, 1952 (No. 11 of 1952), hereby makes the following Regulations:--

1. (1) These Regulations may be cited as the Social Welfare (Treatment Benefit) (Amendment) Regulations, 1979 and shall come into operation on the 6th day of April, 1979.

(2) The Social Welfare (Treatment Benefit) Regulations, 1954 to 1969 and these Regulations may be cited collectively as the Social Welfare (Treatment Benefit) Regulations, 1954 to 1979.

2. In these Regulations--

"the Act" means the Social Welfare Act, 1952 ;

the "Principal Regulations" means the Social Welfare (Treatment Benefit) Regulations, 1954 ( S.I. No. 156 of 1954 ).

3. The definitions in article 4 of the Principal Regulations of "contribution year" and "benefit year" are hereby amended by the substitution therefor of the following--

"contribution year" has the meaning assigned to it in section 2 (1) of the Act (as inserted by section 4 (2) of the Social Welfare (Amendment) Act, 1978 (No. 25 of 1978));

"benefit year" has the same meaning as in the Social Welfare (General Benefit) Regulations, 1953 ( S.I. No. 16 of 1953 ).

4. (1) The references in article 10 (2) (a) of the Principal Regulations (as inserted therein by the Social Welfare (Treatment Benefit) (Amendment) Regulations, 1960 ( S.I. No. 43 of 1960 )) to twenty-six and one hundred and fifty-six employment contributions shall be construed respectively as references to twenty-six and one hundred and fifty-six contribution weeks for which the appropriate employment contribution (or contributions) was (or were) paid or would have been paid but for section 6 (1) (c) of the Act (inserted by section 5 (1) of the Social Welfare (Amendment) Act, 1978 ).

(2) The reference in article 10 (2) (b) of the Principal Regulations to twenty-six employment contributions paid or credited shall be construed as a reference to twenty-six contribution weeks for which the appropriate employment contribution (or contributions) was (or were) paid or credited or would have been paid but for section 6 (1) (c) of the Act (inserted by section 5 (1) of the Social Welfare (Amendment) Act, 1978 ).

GIVEN under the Official Seal of the Minister for Social Welfare this 5th day of April, 1979.

CHARLES J. HAUGHEY,

Minister for Social Welfare.

EXPLANATORY NOTE.

These Regulations amend the definition of "contribution year" so that it corresponds to the definition in the Social Welfare (Amendment) Act, 1978 .

Provision is also made in these Regulations for construing references to a number of contributions paid or credited as referring, in addition, to weeks of insurable employment where a contribution is not payable because of the operation of the income limit on contributions.