S.I. No. 65/1979:

SOCIAL WELFARE (RATES OF CONTRIBUTION AND YEARLY RECKONABLE EARNINGS) (CONFIRMATION AND VARIATION) REGULATIONS, 1979.

SOCIAL WELFARE (RATES OF CONTRIBUTION AND YEARLY RECKONABLE EARNINGS) (CONFIRMATION AND VARIATION) REGULATIONS, 1979.

The Minister for Social Welfare, in exercise of the powers conferred on him by section 3 of the Social Welfare Act, 1952 (No. 11 of 1952) and sections 5 (4) and 16 (2) of the Social Welfare (Amendment) Act, 1978 (No. 25 of 1978), hereby makes the following Regulations:

1. These Regulations may be cited as the Social Welfare (Rates of Contribution and Yearly Reckonable Earnings) (Confirmation and Variation) Regulations, 1979.

2. In these Regulations--

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

"the Act of 1978" means the Social Welfare (Amendment) Act, 1978 .

3. The rates specified in sections 6 (1) (b) and 6 (2) (b) of the Act of 1952 (inserted by section 5 of the Act of 1978) and the rates specified in section 5 (2) of the Act of 1978 are hereby confirmed.

4. The sum of £5,000 specified in section 6 (1) (c) of the Act of 1952 (inserted by section 5 of the Act of 1978) is hereby varied by the substitution therefor of a sum of £5,500.

5. The rate of 0.45 per cent specified in section 36 (2) (a) and (b) of the Social Welfare (Occupational Injuries) Act, 1966 (No. 16 of 1966) (inserted by section 16 of the Act of 1978) is hereby confirmed.

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

CHARLES J. HAUGHEY,

Minister for Social Welfare.

The Minister for Finance hereby consents to the foregoing regulations.

GIVEN under the Official Seal of the Minister for Finance this 5th day of March, 1979.

SEOIRSE Ó COLLA,

Minister for Finance.

EXPLANATORY NOTE.

The Social Welfare (Amendment) Act, 1978 (No. 25 of 1978), which provides for a system of fully pay-related social insurance and occupational injuries insurance contributions, requires that the rates of contribution and the earnings ceiling as set out in the Act be either confirmed or varied by regulation before the system commences on 6 April, 1979.

These regulations confirm the standard rates of social insurance and occupational injuries insurance contributions specified in sections 5 and 16 of the Act and provide for the increase of the earnings ceiling specified in section 5 to £5,500.