STATUTORY INSTRUMENTS.

S.I. No. 120 of 2000.

SOCIAL WELFARE (OCCUPATIONAL INJURIES) (AMENDMENT) REGULATIONS, 2000.

S.I. No. 120 of 2000.

SOCIAL WELFARE (OCCUPATIONAL INJURIES) (AMENDMENT) REGULATIONS, 2000.

The Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs, in exercise of the powers conferred on him by sections 4, 53, 54 and 57 (as amended by section 39 of the Social Welfare Act, 1996 ( No. 7 of 1996 )) of the Social Welfare (Consolidation) Act, 1993 (No. 27 of 1993) , hereby makes the following Regulations:

Citation.

1. These Regulations may be cited as the Social Welfare (Occupational Injuries) (Amendment) Regulations, 2000.

Commencement.

2. These Regulations shall come into operation--

(a) in so far as it relates to injury benefit and disablement gratuity on 1 May, 2000, and

(b) in so far as it relates to disablement pension on 5 May; 2000.

Definition.

3. In these Regulations, “the Regulations of 1999” means the Social Welfare (Occupational Injuries) (Amendment) Regulations, 1999 ( S.I. No. 163 of 1999 ).

Increased rates of benefits and pensions under the occupational Injuries scheme.

4. The Social Welfare (Occupational Injuries) Regulations, 1967 ( S.I. No. 77 of 1967 ) are hereby amended by--

(a) the substitution for the Second Schedule thereto (inserted by article 4 of the Regulations of 1999) of the Schedule set out in Schedule A to these Regulations, subject in respect of the Scale set out in the said Second Schedule (as inserted by these Regulations), to the following provisions--

(i) the rates of pension specified in column (3) of the Scale shall have effect on and from 5 May, 2000 whether the period taken into account by the assessment began on, before, or after that date, and,

(ii) the amounts of gratuity specified in column (2) of the Scale shall be payable only where the period taken into account by the assessment of the degree of disablement began on or after 1 May, 2000, and

(b) the substitution for the Fourth Schedule thereto (inserted by article 4 of the Regulations of 1999) of the Schedule set out in Schedule B to these Regulations.

SCHEDULE A

Articles 6 and 7.

“SECOND SCHEDULE

Scale of Disablement Gratuities and of Weekly Rates of Pension in Lieu of Disablement Gratuities

”.

SCHEDULE B

Article 4.

“FOURTH SCHEDULE

PART I

Weekly Rates of Injury Benefit Payable to Persons under the Age of Sixteen Years

PART II

Article 9.

Increase of Disablement Pension where the beneficiary requires constant attendance

”.

EXPLANATORY NOTE.

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

The Social Welfare Act, 2000 provided for increases in the maximum rates of benefits payable under the Occupational Injuries Benefits Scheme arising from the 2000 Budget. These Regulations provide for increases in the reduced rates of the following Occupational Injuries benefits--

--in respect of Disablement Gratuities appropriate to degrees of disablement assessed at 19% or under from the 1st May, 2000,

--in respect of Disablement Pension payable in lieu of such gratuities from the 5th May, 2000,

--in respect of Injury Benefit payable to persons under the age of sixteen from 1st May, 2000, and

--in respect of certain Constant Attendance Allowances from 5th May, 2000.