S.I. No. 93/1991 - Social Welfare (Pre-Retirement Allowance) (Amendment) Regulations, 1991.

S.I. No. 93 of 1991.

SOCIAL WELFARE (PRE-RETIREMENT ALLOWANCE) (AMENDMENT) REGULATIONS, 1991.

The Minister for Social Welfare, in exercise of the powers conferred on him by section 3 of the Social Welfare (Consolidation) Act, 1981 (No. 1 of 1981), by section 156C of that Act (inserted by section 28 of the Social Welfare Act, 1988 (No. 7 of 1988) and amended by section 58 of the Social Welfare Act, 1991 (No. 7 of 1991)) and by section 59 of the Social Welfare Act, 1991 , and after consultation with An Post, hereby makes the following Regulations:—

1 Short title and collective citation.

1. (1) These Regulations may be cited as the Social Welfare (Pre-Retirement Allowance) (Amendment) Regulations, 1991.

(2) These Regulations and the Social Welfare (Pre-Retirement Allowance) Regulations, 1990 shall be construed together as one and may be cited together as the Social Welfare (Pre-Retirement Allowance) Regulations, 1990 and 1991.

2 Interpretation.

2. In these Regulations "the Principal Regulations" means the Social Welfare (Pre-Retirement Allowance) Regulations, 1990 (S.I. No. 76 of 190).

3 Commencement.

3. These Regulations shall come into operation on the 18th day of April, 1991.

4 Specified age.

4. The Principal Regulations are hereby amended by the substitution for article 3 of the following article:

"3. For the purposes of paragraph (a) of section 156A of the Act the specified age shall be 58 years.".

5 Child dependant increases

5. Article 8 of the Principal Regulations is hereby amended by the insertion after sub-article (2) of the following sub-article:

"(3). In this article 'spouse' means—

( a ) each person of a married couple who are living together, or

( b ) a man and woman who are not married to each other but are cohabiting as man and wife.".

GIVEN under the Official Seal of the Minister for Social Welfare this

18th day of April, 1991.

MICHAEL WOODS,

Minister for Social Welfare.

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

GIVEN under the Official Seal of the Minister for Finance this

18th day of April, 1991.

ALBERT REYNOLDS,

Minister for Finance.

EXPLANATORY NOTE.

These regulations provide for a reduction in the qualifying age for pre-retirement allowance from 60 to 58 years. The regulations also provide that cohabiting couples will be treated in the same manner as married couples with regard to the payment of child dependant increases for the purposes of the pre-retirement allowance.