Social Welfare Act, 2001

Island allowance.

15.—(1) The Principal Act is amended by—

(a) the insertion in section 2(1) (as amended by section 8 of this Act) after the definition of “insured person” of the following definition:

“‘island’ means any island, lying off the cost of the State, that is prescribed;”,

(b) the insertion in section 60 (as amended by section 14 of the Act of 1997) after subsection (5) of the following subsection:

“(6) The weekly rate of pension under subsection (2) shall be increased by the amount set out in column (8) of Part I of the Second Schedule where the beneficiary has attained pensionable age and is ordinarily resident on an island.”,

(c) the substitution for subsection (2) (as amended by section 32 of the Act of 1994) of section 61 of the following subsection:

“(2) Subject to subsections (3) and (4), the death benefit shall be a pension at the weekly rate set out in column (2) of Part I of the Second Schedule, increased, in the case of a person who has attained pensionable age—

(a) by the amount set out in column (6) of that Part I of the Second Schedule where the beneficiary is living alone, and

(b) by the amount set out in column (8) of that Part I of the Second Schedule where the beneficiary is ordinarily resident on an island.”,

(d) the insertion in section 87 after subsection (5) of the following subsection:

“(6) The weekly rate of old age (contributory) pension shall be increased by the amount set out in column (8) of Part I of the Second Schedule where the beneficiary is ordinarily resident on an island.”,

(e) in subsection (4) of section 87A (inserted by section 16 of the Act of 2000)—

(i) the deletion in paragraph (c) of “and”, and

(ii) the substitution for paragraph (d) of the following paragraphs:

“(d) the amount set out in column (7) at reference 3 of Part I of the Second Schedule where the beneficiary has attained the age of 80 years, and

(e) the amount set out in column (8) at reference 3 of Part I of the Second Schedule where the beneficiary is ordinarily resident on an island.”,

(f) the insertion in section 91 after subsection (5) of the following subsection:

“(6) The weekly rate of retirement pension shall be increased by the amount set out in column (8) of Part I of the Second Schedule where the beneficiary has attained pensionable age and is ordinarily resident on an island.”,

(g) the insertion in section 99 after subsection (5) (as amended by section 32 of the Act of 1994) of the following subsection:

“(6) The weekly rate of invalidity pension shall be increased by the amount set out in column (8) of Part I of the Second Schedule where the beneficiary has attained pensionable age and is ordinarily resident on an island.”,

(h) the insertion in section 104 after subsection (3) (as amended by section 27 of the Act of 1996) of the following subsection:

“(4) The weekly rate of pension shall be increased by the amount set out in column (8) of Part I of the Second Schedule where the beneficiary has attained pensionable age and is ordinarily resident on an island,”,

(i) in section 137 (as amended by section 17 of the Act of 1999)—

(i) the deletion in paragraph (b) of “and”, and

(ii) the substitution for paragraph (c) of the following paragraphs:

“(c) by the amount set out in column (7) of Part I of the Fourth Schedule where the beneficiary has attained the age of 80 years, and

(d) by the amount set out in column (8) of Part I of the Fourth Schedule where the beneficiary is ordinarily resident on an island,”,

(j) in section 145 (inserted by section 19 of the Act of 1997)—

(i) the deletion in paragraph (a) of “and”, and

(ii) the substitution for paragraph (b) of the following paragraphs:

“(b) by the amount set out in column (7) of Part I of the Fourth Schedule where the beneficiary has attained the age of 80 years, and

(c) by the amount set out in column (8) of Part I of the Fourth Schedule where the beneficiary has attained pensionable age and is ordinarily resident on an island,”,

(k) the insertion in section 159 (inserted by section 17 of the Act of 1996) after subsection (3) of the following subsection:

“(4) The weekly rate of one-parent family payment shall be increased by the amount set out in column (8) of Part I of the Fourth Schedule where the beneficiary has attained pensionable age and is ordinarily resident on an island.”,

and

(l) the substitution for section 165(1) (as amended by section 23 of the Act of 1997) of the following subsection:

“(1) Subject to this Act, the rate (in this Chapter referred to as ‘the scheduled rate’) of carer's allowance shall be—

(a) in the case of a person who is a carer of more than one relevant person, the weekly rate set out in column (2) at reference 8(a) in Part I of the Fourth Schedule, and

(b) in any other case, the weekly rate set out in column (2) at reference 8(b) in Part I of the Fourth Schedule,

increased by—

(i) the appropriate amount set out in column (4) of that Part opposite that reference in respect of each qualified child who normally resides with the beneficiary, and

(ii) the amount set out in column (8) of that Part opposite that reference where the beneficiary has attained pensionable age and is ordinarily resident on an island.”.

(2) This section comes into operation on—

(a) in so far as it relates to retirement pension, invalidity pension, a relevant payment by virtue of section 18(1)(a), (b) or (c) of the Act of 1996, one-parent family payment (other than where payable in respect of a widow or widower) and carer's allowance on 5 April 2001, and

(b) in so far as it relates to death benefit under section 60, 61 or 62 of the Principal Act, old age (contributory) pension, widow's and widower's (contributory) pension, old age (non-contributory) pension, blind pension, widow's and widower's (non-contributory) pension and one-parent family payment payable in respect of a widow or widower on 6 April 2001.