S.I. No. 291/1991:

SOCIAL WELFARE (TEMPORARY PROVISIONS) REGULATIONS, 1991.

SOCIAL WELFARE (TEMPORARY PROVISIONS) REGULATIONS, 1991.

The Minister for Social Welfare, in exercise of the powers conferred on him by section 3 of the Social Welfare (Consolidation) Act, 1981 (No. 1 of 1981) and by section 308 of that Act (as amended by section 9 of the Social Welfare Act, 1982 (No. 2 of 1982)), hereby makes the following Regulations:--

1. These Regulations may be cited as the Social Welfare (Temporary Provisions) Regulations, 1991.

2. In these Regulations--

"the Principal Act" means that Social Welfare (Consolidation) Act, 1981 ;

"unemployment assistance payable at the long-term rate" means unemployment assistance payable at the rate set out at reference 1 (a) in Part I of the Fourth Schedule to the Principal Act (reduced, where appropriate, by means) to an applicant who, in any one continuous period of unemployment as construed in accordance with section 135 (2) of the Principal Act, has been in receipt of unemployment benefit or unemployment assistance for not less than 390 days.

3. (1) Where a person is or becomes entitled to any pension, benefit, allowance or assistance mentioned in this article, any amount payable to him by way of that pension, benefit, allowance or assistance (including any increase thereof) shall be increased by a sum equal to 70 per cent of that amount in respect of the week commencing on-

(a) the 27th day of November, 1991 in the case of unemployment assistance payable at the long-term rate, or

(b) the 5th day of December, 1991 in the case of retirement pension, invalidity pension, deserted wife's benefit, pre-retirement allowance, deserted wife's allowance, prisoner's wife's allowance, single woman's allowance, lone parent's allowance (other than a lone parent's allowance payable in respect of a widow or a widower) or carer's allowance, or

(c) the 6th day of December, 1991 in the case of disablement pension, death benefit under section 50, 51 or 52 of the Principal Act, old age (contributory) pension, survivor's benefit under section 87 of the Principal Act, widow's (contributory) pension, orphan's (contributory) allowance, old age pension, blind pension, widow's (non-contributory) pension, orphan's (non-contributory) pension or lone parent's allowance payable in respect of a widow or a widower.

4. Where, by virtue of the provisions of these Regulations, the amount of pension, benefit, allowance or assistance (including any increase thereof) is increased, the amount so payable shall be rounded up to the nearest 10p where it is a multiple of 5p but not also a multiple of 10p and shall be rounded to the nearest 10p where it is a multiple of 5p.

GIVEN under the Official Seal of the Minister for Social Welfare

this 20th day of November, 1991.

BRENDAN DALY,

Minister for Social Welfare.

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

GIVEN under the Official Seal of the Minister for Finance this 20th

day of November, 1991.

BERTIE AHERN,

Minister for Finance.

EXPLANATORY NOTE.

These Regulations provide for an increase of 70% in the weekly payment for long-term social welfare recipients, including any increases for dependents, in the first week in December, 1991.

This increase applies to recipients of--

--disablement pension,

--death benefit by way of pension,

--old age (contributory and non-contributory) pensions,

--retirement pension,

--survivor's benefit,

--invalidity pension,

--widow's (contributory and non-contributory) pensions,

--orphan's (contributory and non-contributory) pensions,

--deserted wife's payments,

--pre-retirement allowance,

--blind pension,

--carer's allowance,

--lone parent's allowance,

--prisoner's wife's allowance,

--single woman's allowance, and

--unemployment assistance at the long-term rate.