Social Welfare (Consolidation) Act, 1981

PART II

SOCIAL INSURANCE

Chapter 1

Insured Persons, Contributions and Benefits

Insured Persons

Insured persons.

[1952, s. 4]

5.—(1) Subject to this Act—

(a) every person who, being over the age of 16 years and under pensionable age, is employed in any of the employments specified in Part I of the First Schedule , not being an employment specified in Part II of that Schedule, shall, subject to section 65 (1), be an employed contributor for the purposes of this Act, and

(b) every person becoming for the first time an employed contributor shall thereby become insured under this Act and shall thereafter continue throughout his life to be so insured.

[1978 AM, s. 13]

(2) Subject to this Act, where a person ceases to be an employed contributor otherwise than by reason of attaining pensionable age and he has qualifying contributions in respect of not less than 156 contribution weeks, he shall, on making application in the prescribed manner and within the prescribed period, be entitled to become an insured person paying contributions under this Act voluntarily (in this Act referred to as a voluntary contributor).

(3) A voluntary contributor shall, if he becomes an employed contributor, cease to be a voluntary contributor except insofar as is provided in section 11 (2).

(4) Regulations may provide for including among employed contributors person employed in any of the employments specified in Part II of the First Schedule .

(5) Regulations may provide for—

(a) excluding particular employments or any classes of employment from the employments specified in Part I of the First Schedule , or

(b) adding to the employments so specified particular employments or any classes of employment,

and, where the Minister considers that any modifications of this Act are appropriate having regard to the purpose for which the regulations are made, the regulations may make those modifications.

(6) Where regulations are proposed to be made for the purposes of subsection (4) or (5), a draft thereof shall be laid before each House of the Oireachtas and the regulations shall not be made until a resolution approving of the draft has been passed by each such House.