S.I. No. 316/1980:

SOCIAL WELFARE (AMENDMENT) ACT, 1978 (COMMENCEMENT) ORDER, 1980.

SOCIAL WELFARE (AMENDMENT) ACT, 1978 (COMMENCEMENT) ORDER, 1980.

The Minister for Social Welfare, in exercise of the powers conferred on him by section 3 of the Social Welfare (Amendment) Act, 1978 (No. 25 of 1978), hereby orders as follows:

1. This Order may be cited as the Social Welfare (Amendment) Act, 1978 (Commencement) Order, 1980.

2. Section 4 (2) of the Social Welfare (Amendment) Act, 1978 , in so far as it amends the definition of "benefit year" in section 2 (1) of the Social Welfare Act, 1952 (No. 11 of 1952), shall come into operation on the 5th day of January, 1981.

GIVEN under the Official Seal of the Minister for Social Welfare

this 13th day of October, 1980.

MICHAEL WOODS,

Minister for Social Welfare.

The Minister for Finance hereby consents to the making of the foregoing Order.

GIVEN under the Official Seal of the Minister for Finance this 13th day of October, 1980.

MICHAEL O'KENNEDY,

Minister for Finance.

EXPLANATORY NOTE.

The Social Welfare (Amendment) Act, 1978 (No. 25 of 1978) provided for a system of fully pay-related social insurance and occupational injuries insurance contributions which came into operation on the 6th April, 1979. Because of the conversion to the new system changes in the definitions of contribution and benefit years were required. The contribution year for men and women is now the same as the income tax year (that is the year beginning on the 6th April) and the new benefit year, provided for in section 4 (2) of the Act, will be the year commencing on the first Monday in a calendar year.

Contributions collected in the first contribution year (1979/80) of the new system will reckon for short-term benefits such as unemployment benefit and disability benefit in the first new benefit year (1981).

This Order provides for the commencement of the new benefit year with effect from 5th January, 1981. The other provisions of the Act were brought into operation by the Social Welfare (Amendment) Act, 1978 (Commencement) Order, 1979 ( S.I. No. 62 of 1979 ).