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 sections 4 and 138 of the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005 (No. 26 of 2005), hereby make the following Regulations:

Citation and construction.

1. (1) These Regulations may be cited as the Social Welfare (Consolidated Claims, Payments and Control) (Amendment) (No. 9) (Treatment Benefit) Regulations 2011.

(2) These Regulations and the Social Welfare (Consolidated Claims, Payments and Control) Regulations 2007 to 2011 shall be construed together as one and may be cited together as the Social Welfare (Consolidated Claims, Payments and Control) Regulations 2007 to 2011.

Definition.

2. In these Regulations "Principal Regulations" means the Social Welfare (Consolidated Claims, Payments and Control) Regulations 2007 ( S.I. No. 142 of 2007 ).

Commencement.

3. These Regulations come into operation on 1 January 2012.

Hearing aids.

4. The Principal Regulations are amended by inserting the following article after article 110:

"Hearing aids.

110A.A person shall be entitled to medical appliance benefit in relation to the provision of hearing aids once in every four years or such other frequency as may, from time to time, be fixed by the Minister.".

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.)

These Regulations provide for an increase in the frequency of the payment of the hearing aid grant under the Treatment Benefit scheme with effect from 1 January 2012, from once every two years to once every four years or such other frequency as the Minister may determine, from time to time,