Notice of the making of this Statutory Instrument was published in

"Iris Oifigiúil" of 6th January, 2015.

I, KEVIN HUMPHREYS, Minister of State at the Department of Social Protection, in exercise of the powers conferred on the Minister for Social Protection by section 4 (amended by section 96 of the Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Act 2011 (No. 10 of 2011)) of the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005 (No. 26 of 2005), and by section 198(3E) (inserted by section 14 of the Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2008 (No. 22 of 2008)) of the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005 , which powers are delegated to me by the Social Protection (Delegation of Ministerial Functions) Order 2014 ( S.I. No. 421 of 2014 ), and with the consent of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, hereby make the following Regulations:

Citation and construction

1. (1) These Regulations may be cited as the Social Welfare (Consolidated Supplementary Welfare Allowance) (Amendment) (No. 5) (Rent Supplement) Regulations 2014.

(2) These Regulations and the Social Welfare (Consolidated Supplementary Welfare Allowance) Regulations 2007 to 2014 shall be construed together as one and may be cited together as the Social Welfare (Consolidated Supplementary Welfare Allowance) Regulations 2007 to 2014.

Definitions

2. In these Regulations-

"Principal Regulations" means the Social Welfare (Consolidated Supplementary Welfare Allowance) Regulations 2007 ( S.I. No. 412 of 2007 );

"Regulations of 2013" means the Social Welfare (Consolidated Supplementary Welfare Allowance) (Amendment) (No. 2) (Rent Supplement) Regulations 2013 ( S.I. No. 215 of 2013 ).

Commencement

3. These Regulations come into operation on 1 January 2015.

Definition of qualified child

4. Article 3 of the Principal Regulations is amended by inserting the following definition after the definition of "qualified adult":

"‘qualified child’ has, subject to article 15(5), the meaning assigned to it in section 188(1);".

Entitlement to rent supplement

5. The Principal Regulations are amended–

(a) in article 9(2)(i) (amended by article 4 of the Regulations of 2013), by deleting "for the period commencing on 17 June 2013 and ending on 31 December 2014", and

(b) in Schedule 1 (amended by article 5 of the Regulations of 2013)-

(i) by substituting "qualified child" for "child", in each place in which it occurs, and

(ii) by substituting "qualified children" for "children", in each place in which it occurs.

The Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform consents to the foregoing Regulations.

GIVEN under my Official Seal,

18 December 2014.

BRENDAN HOWLIN,

Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform.

GIVEN under my hand,

19 December 2014.

KEVIN HUMPHREYS,

Minister of State at the Department of Social Protection.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Instrument and does not purport to be a legal interpretation.)

These Regulations provide for the continuation of the current maximum monthly rent limits that apply to the Rent Supplement scheme beyond the expiry date of 31 December 2014, as provided for in the Social Welfare (Consolidated Supplementary Welfare Allowance) (Amendment) (No. 2) (Rent Supplement) Regulations 2013 ( S.I. No. 215 of 2013 ).

These Regulations also clarify the meaning of the references to a qualified child which are contained in Schedule 1 to the Social Welfare (Consolidated Supplementary Welfare Allowance) Regulations 2007 ( S.I. No. 412 of 2007 ).