Notice of the making of this Statutory Instrument was published in

"Iris Oifigiúil" of 3rd January, 2012.

I, JOAN BURTON, Minister for Social Protection in exercise of the powers conferred on me by section 1 (4) of the Social Welfare and Pensions Act 2010 (No. 37 of 2010), hereby order as follows:

1. This Order may be cited as the Social Welfare and Pensions Act 2010 (Sections 29, 30, 34 and 35) (Commencement) Order 2011.

2. The 1st day of January 2012 is appointed as the day on which sections 29 , 30 , 34 and 35 of the Social Welfare and Pensions Act 2010 (No. 37 of 2010) come into operation.

GIVEN under my Official Seal,

22 December 2011.

JOAN BURTON,

Minister for Social Protection.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

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

Part 3 of the section 16 (6) of the Social Welfare and Pensions Act 2011 , enable the transfer of administrative responsibility for the employment and community services of An Foras Áiseanna Saothair (FÁS) and the associated FÁS resources to the Department of Social Protection.

This Order provides for the commencement, with effect from 1st January 2012, of a number of provisions of Part 3 of the Social Welfare and Pensions Act 2010 which-

(a) amend section 4 of the Labour Services Act 1987 so as to remove the various functions of FÁS relating to employment and community services;

(b) amend the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005 so as to give the Minister for Social Protection similar functions in relation to employment schemes and related schemes and programmes;

(c) delete the provisions of Part 3 of the Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2010 , which enabled FÁS to provide the employment and community services on an agency basis on behalf of the Minister for Social Protection; and

(d) provide for the continuation by the Department of Social Protection of certain schemes and programmes which were being administered by FÁS, e.g. Community Employment.