National Health Insurance Act, 1929

Admission to membership of approved society.

5.—(1) Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-section (2) of section 30 of the Act of 1911, an approved society shall, subject to the provisions of this section, not be entitled to reject an applicant for membership therein who either—

(a) is a member of an employer's provident fund who has been called upon in accordance with the rules of such fund to withdraw from membership on the termination of his employment with the employer guaranteeing the fund, or

(b) being an insured person or a person entitled to become an insured person is not already a member of another approved society,

unless such applicant is not qualified under any rule of such first mentioned society limiting membership, in the case of an employer's provident fund, to insured persons employed by the particular employer or employers guaranteeing the fund, or, in any other case, to a particular class of insured persons or to insured persons resident in a particular area or otherwise.

(2) Nothing in this section shall be construed as preventing an approved society from refusing to admit to membership on account of the state of his health any insured person who is either—

(a) a member of an employer's provident fund and has been called upon in accordance with the rules of such fund to withdraw from membership thereof on the termination of his employment with the particular employer or employers guaranteeing the fund, or

(b) a person entitled to benefits out of the Military Forces (International Arrangements) Insurance Fund, or

(c) a person, who having served in the Navy, Army, or Air Force of Great Britain and not having been a member of an approved society in Great Britain or Northern Ireland while so serving, becomes resident in Saorstát Eireann within six months after his discharge from such Navy, Army, or Air Force and applies to become a member of such society within twelve months after the date of his said discharge.

(3) Any dispute between an approved society and a person who claims to be entitled to become a member of such society shall be decided in like manner as if it were a dispute between an approved society and an insured person who is a member thereof.