Notice of the making of this Statutory Instrument was published in

“Iris Oifigiúil” of 24th June, 2022.

WHEREAS sections 4 , 5 and 6 of Part 2 of the Health (Preservation and Protection and other Emergency Measures in the Public Interest) Act 2020 (No. 1 of 2020) amended and extended the Social Welfare Acts to provide for amendments in relation to entitlement to illness benefit for persons who have been diagnosed with, or are a probable source of infection with the disease known as Covid-19;

WHEREAS subsection (3)(a) of section 2 of the Health (Preservation and Protection and other Emergency Measures in the Public Interest) Act 2020 provided that amendments effected by Part 2 of that Act shall, subject to subsection (4) of section 2 of that Act, continue in operation until the 9th day of May 2020;

WHEREAS subsection (4) of the said section 2 (as adapted by the Employment Affairs and Social Protection (Alteration of Name of Department and Title of Minister) Order 2020 ( S.I. No. 447 of 2020 )) provided that the Government, at the request of the Minister for Social Protection following consultation with any other Minister of the Government as he or she considers appropriate having regard to the functions of that Minister of the Government, may where they are satisfied that it is in the public interest to do so, from time to time, by order declare that all or any of the amendments effected by the said Part 2 shall continue in operation for such period or periods as may be specified in the order concerned;

WHEREAS the Government by order dated 1st May 2020 entitled the Health (Preservation and Protection and other Emergency Measures in the Public Interest) Act 2020 (Continuation of Part 2) Order 2020 ( S.I. No. 155 of 2020 ) declared that the amendments effected by the said Part 2 shall continue in operation for the period beginning on the 9th day of May 2020 and ending on the 19th day of June 2020;

WHEREAS the Government by further order dated 5th June 2020 entitled the Health (Preservation and Protection and other Emergency Measures in the Public Interest) Act 2020 (Continuation of Part 2) (No. 2) Order 2020 ( S.I. No. 207 of 2020 ) declared that the amendments effected by the said Part 2 shall continue in operation for the period beginning on the 20th day of June 2020 and ending on the 10th day of August 2020;

WHEREAS the Government by further order dated 4th August 2020 entitled the Health (Preservation and Protection and other Emergency Measures in the Public Interest) Act 2020 (Continuation of Part 2) (No. 3) Order 2020 ( S.I. No. 285 of 2020 ) declared that the amendments effected by sections 4, 5 and 6 of Part 2 shall continue in operation for the period beginning on the 11th day of August 2020 and ending on the 31st day of March 2021;

WHEREAS the Government by further order dated 23rd March 2021 entitled the Health (Preservation and Protection and other Emergency Measures in the Public Interest) Act 2020 (Continuation of Part 2) Order 2021 ( S.I. No. 133 of 2021 ) declared that the amendments effected by the said Part 2 shall continue in operation for the period beginning on the 1st day of April 2021 and ending on the 30th day of June 2021;

WHEREAS the Government by further order dated 29th June 2021 entitled the Health (Preservation and Protection and other Emergency Measures in the Public Interest) Act 2020 (Continuation of Sections 4, 5 and 6 of Part 2) Order 2021 ( S.I. No. 325 of 2021 ) declared that the amendments effected by sections 4, 5 and 6 of Part 2 shall continue in operation for the period beginning on the 1st day of July 2021 and ending on the 8th day of February 2022;

WHEREAS the Government by further order dated 1st February 2022 entitled the Health (Preservation and Protection and other Emergency Measures in the Public Interest) Act 2020 (Continuation of Sections 4, 5 and 6 of Part 2) Order 2022 ( S.I. No. 47 of 2022 ) declared that the amendments effected by sections 4, 5 and 6 of Part 2 shall continue in operation for the period beginning on the 9th day of February 2022 and ending on the 30th day of June 2022;

AND WHEREAS the Minister for Social Protection, having considered it appropriate to do so, has consulted the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, the Minister for Health and the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment and, following such consultation, has made a request in accordance with the said subsection (4) of section 2;

NOW, the Government, being satisfied that it is in the public interest to do so, and in exercise of the powers conferred on them by subsection (4) of section 2 of the Health (Preservation and Protection and other Emergency Measures in the Public Interest) Act 2020 , hereby order as follows:

1. This Order may be cited as the Health (Preservation and Protection and other Emergency Measures in the Public Interest) Act 2020 (Continuation of Sections 4, 5 and 6 of Part 2) (No. 2) Order 2022.

2. The amendments effected by sections 4, 5 and 6 of Part 2 of the Health (Preservation and Protection and other Emergency Measures in the Public Interest) Act 2020 (No. 1 of 2020) shall continue in operation for the period beginning on the 1st day of July 2022 and ending on the 30th day of September 2022.

GIVEN under the Official Seal of the Government,

21 June, 2022.

MICHEÁL MARTIN,

Taoiseach.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

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

The Health (Preservation and Protection and other Emergency Measures in the Public Interest) Act 2020 (Continuation of Part 2) Order 2020 ( S.I. No.155 of 2020 ) extended the operation of the amendments effected by Part 2 of the Health (Preservation and Protection and other Emergency Measures in the Public Interest) Act 2020 (No. 1 of 2020) from their original expiry date of 9 May 2020 until 19 June 2020.

The Health (Preservation and Protection and other Emergency Measures in the Public Interest) Act 2020 (Continuation of Part 2) (No. 2) Order 2020 ( S.I. No. 207 of 2020 ) extended the operation of the amendments effected by Part 2 of the Health (Preservation and Protection and other Emergency Measures in the Public Interest) Act 2020 until 10 August 2020.

The Health (Preservation and Protection and other Emergency Measures in the Public Interest) Act 2020 (Continuation of Part 2) (No. 3) Order 2020 ( S.I. No. 285 of 2020 ) extended the operation of the amendments effected by sections 4, 5 and 6 of Part 2 of the Health (Preservation and Protection and other Emergency Measures in the Public Interest) Act 2020 until 31 March 2021.

The Health (Preservation and Protection and other Emergency Measures in the Public Interest) Act 2020 (Continuation of Part 2) Order 2021 ( S.I. No. 133 of 2021 ) further extended the operation of the amendments effected by Part 2 of the Health (Preservation and Protection and other Emergency Measures in the Public Interest) Act 2020 until 30 June 2021.

The Health (Preservation and Protection and other Emergency Measures in the Public Interest) Act 2020 (Continuation of Sections 4, 5 and 6 of Part 2) Order 2021 ( S.I. No. 325 of 2021 ) extended the operation of the amendments effected by sections 4, 5 and 6 of Part 2 of the Health (Preservation and Protection and other Emergency Measures in the Public Interest) Act 2020 until 8 February 2022.

The Health (Preservation and Protection and other Emergency Measures in the Public Interest) Act 2020 (Continuation of Sections 4, 5 and 6 of Part 2) Order 2022 ( S.I. No. 47 of 2022 ) extended the operation of the amendments effected by sections 4, 5 and 6 of Part 2 of the Health (Preservation and Protection and other Emergency Measures in the Public Interest) Act 2020 until 30 June 2022

This Order further extends the operation of the amendments effected by sections 4, 5 and 6 Part 2 of the Health (Preservation and Protection and other Emergency Measures in the Public Interest) Act 2020 until 30 September 2022.