Notice of the making of this Statutory Instrument was published in

"Iris Oifigiúil" of 5th October, 2012.

I, JAMES REILLY, Minister for Health, in exercise of the powers conferred on me by subsections (2) and (3) of section 1 of the Nurses and Midwives Act 2011 (No. 41 of 2011), hereby order as follows:

1. This Order may be cited as the Nurses and Midwives Act 2011 (Commencement) (No. 2) Order 2012.

2. The 2nd day of October 2012 is appointed as the day on which the following provisions of the Nurses and Midwives Act 2011 (No. 41 of 2011) shall come into operation:

(a) section 3;

(b) section 4(1) in so far as it relates to the repeal of the provisions of the Nurses Act 1985 (No. 18 of 1985) specified in the Schedule to this Order;

(c) section 5;

(d) Part 2 other than sections 9(2)(g)(ii) and 17(3);

(e) Part 3;

(f) Part 4 in so far as it is not already in operation;

(g) Part 5 other than section 37(2)(a);

(h) sections 46 to 54;

(i) Part 7 other than subsection (1)(b) (in so far as it relates to a professional competence scheme), and subsection (2)(d), of section 59;

(j) Part 8 other than subsections (5) and (6) of section 64 and section 65(1)(b);

(k) Part 9;

(l) sections 85 and 86;

(m) subsections (1) and (4) (in so far as that subsection applies to the said subsection (1)) of section 102;

(n) sections 104 to 107; and

(o) Schedule.

3. The 3rd day of October 2012 is appointed as the day on which section 17 (3) and subsections (5) and (6) of section 64 of the Nurses and Midwives Act 2011 shall come into operation.

SCHEDULE

PROVISIONS OF NURSES ACT 1985 REPEALED

(a) Part II,

(b) Part III,

(c) Part IV,

(d) section 48,

(e) sections 50 to 56, and

(f) Second Schedule.

GIVEN under my Official Seal,

1 October 2012.

JAMES REILLY,

Minister for Health.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

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

This Order brings into operation, on the 2nd October 2012, certain provisions of the Nurses and Midwives Act 2011 , in relation to the continuance and renaming of the Board, members, committees and employees of the Board, governance matters, the new registers, the fitness to practise procedures and the Board"s education and training duties. A small number of provisions in relation to offences come into operation on the 3rd October 2012.