S.I. No. 54/1998 - Social Welfare (Consolidated Payments Provisions) (Amendment) (Educational Opportunities) Regulations, 1998.

S.I. No. 54 of 1998.

SOCIAL WELFARE (CONSOLIDATED PAYMENTS PROVISIONS) (AMENDMENT) (EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES) REGULATIONS, 1998.

The Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs, in exercise of the powers conferred on him by sections 4, 42 and 120 (as amended by section 22 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:

1 Citation and construction

1. (1) These Regulations may be cited as the Social Welfare (Consolidated Payments Provisions) (Amendment) (Educational Opportunities) Regulations, 1998.

(2) These Regulations and the Social Welfare (Consolidated Payments Provisions) Regulations, 1994 to 1997 shall be construed together as one and may be cited as the Social Welfare (Consolidated Payments Provisions) Regulations, 1994 to 1998.

2 Definition

2. In these Regulations "the Principal Regulations" means the Social Welfare (Consolidated Payments Provisions) Regulations, 1994 ( S.I. No. 417 of 1994 ).

3 Persons deemed to be available for employment

3. Article 73 of the Principal Regulations is hereby amended by—

(a) the substitution for sub-article (2) of the following sub-article:

"(2) In the case of a person who commences and continues to participate in an activity in a continuous period of unemployment and is aged 21 years or over and has been in receipt of unemployment assistance, unemployment benefit or unemployment assistance and unemployment benefit, for a period of not less than 156 days, he or she shall be deemed to be available for employment on any day in which he or she is participating in an activity:

Provided that he or she has given prior notice to the Minister of his or her intention to participate in that activity.",

and

(b) the substitution for sub-article (4) of the following sub-article—

"(4) In this article 'activity' means participation by a person in a course of education, training or development approved by the Minister.".

GIVEN under the Official Seal of the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs, this 19th day of January, 1998.

DERMOT AHERN,

Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs.

The Minister for Finance hereby consents to the making of the foregoing Regulations.

GIVEN under the Official Seal of the Minister for Finance, this 3rd day of February, 1998.

CHARLIE McCREEVY,

Minister for Finance.

EXPLANATORY NOTE.

These Regulations provide for the various administrative changes and improvements in the Educational Opportunities Schemes. The qualifying conditions for these schemes require that the claimant is 21 years of age or over and in receipt of an unemployment payment for at least six months.

The Regulations also provide for an extension of the scope of the Educational Opportunities Schemes to include courses of training and development.