S.I. No. 107/1980:

SOCIAL WELFARE (CONTRIBUTIONS) (AMENDMENT) REGULATIONS, 1980.

SOCIAL WELFARE (CONTRIBUTIONS) (AMENDMENT) REGULATIONS, 1980.

The Minister for Social Welfare, in exercise of the powers conferred on him by sections 3 and 7 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 (Contributions) (Amendment) Regulations, 1980 and shall come into operation on the 6th day of April, 1980.

(2) The Social Welfare (Contributions) Regulations, 1953 to 1979, and these Regulations may be cited collectively as the Social Welfare (Contributions) Regulations, 1953 to 1980.

2. In these Regulations "the Principal Regulations" means the Social Welfare (Contributions) Regulations, 1953 ( S.I. No. 5 of 1953 ).

3. Article 10 of the Principal Regulations (inserted by the Social Welfare (Contributions) (Amendment) Regulations, 1967 ( S.I. No. 89 of 1967 )) is hereby amended by the substitution for sub-article (1) of the following sub-article:--

"(1) Subject to sub-article (2) of this article, an employment contribution shall be credited to an insured person in respect of each complete contribution week from the beginning of the second-last contribution year preceding that in which his entry into insurance occurred up to the date of such entry into insurance."

4. The Principal Regulations are hereby amended by the insertion after article 10D (inserted by the Social Welfare (Contributions) (Amendment) Regulations, 1969 ( S.I. No. 192 of 1969 )) of the following article--

(1) This article shall apply to an insured person who, during a course of full-time education or an interval between two such courses, was engaged in insurable employment and who, when he ceases to attend such a course, re-enters insurable employment in respect of which employment contributions reckonable for old age (contributory) pension are payable.

(2) Subject to sub-article (3) of this article, employment contributions, which shall be reckonable only for the purposes of satisfying the contribution conditions for disability benefit, unemployment benefit, maternity benefit, treatment benefit and death grant, shall be credited to an insured person to whom this article applies in respect of each contribution week from the beginning of the relevant contribution year up to the date on which the insured person re-enters insurable employment after his having ceased to attend a course of fulltime education.

(3) Employment contributions shall not be credited under this article to an insured person--

( a ) in respect of a re-entry to insurable employment following a course of full-time education which commenced after he attained the age of 23 years, or

( b ) where such contributions have previously been credited under sub-article (1) of this article and the insured person subsequently attends a course of full-time education, or

( c ) in respect of any contribution week for which an employment contribution, other than a contribution under section 36 (2) (a) (ii) of the Act of 1966, is payable in respect of him or an employment contribution is already credited to him.

(4) In this article--

'course of full-time education' means a course of full-time instruction by day at any university, college, school or other educational establishment;

'the relevant contribution year' means the second-last contribution year preceding that in which the insured person re-enters insurable employment after his having ceased to attend a course of full-time education."

GIVEN under the Official Seal of the Minister for Social Welfare this 5th day of April, 1980.

MICHAEL WOODS,

Minister for Social Welfare.

EXPLANATORY NOTE.

These Regulations provide for the award of additional credited employment contributions to persons becoming insured for the first time and also provide for the award of credited employment contributions to insured persons re-entering insurable employment after attending a course of full-time education. These credited contributions will enable such persons to qualify for certain short-term benefits (e.g. disability and unemployment) as soon as they satisfy the first contribution condition.