Social Welfare (No. 2) Act, 1985

Amendment of section 34 of Principal Act (duration of payment).

6.—Section 34 of the Principal Act is hereby amended by—

(a) the substitution for subsection (1) of the following subsection:—

“(1) A person who, in respect of any period of interruption of employment, has been entitled to unemployment benefit for 156 days shall not thereafter, subject to subsection (3), be entitled to that benefit for any day of unemployment (whether in the same or a subsequent period of interruption of employment) unless before that day he has requalified for benefit or unless, in the case of a person over 65 years of age, he has qualifying contributions in respect of not less than 156 contribution weeks in the period between his entry into insurance and the day for which unemployment benefit is claimed.”;

(b) the substitution for subsection (3) of the following subsection:—

“(3) Subsection (1) shall, in respect of a person who is over the age of 18 years, have effect as if ‘390 days’ were substituted for ‘156 days’.”; and

(c) the substitution for subsection (6) of the following subsection:—

“(6) Where in a period of interruption of employment a woman who was formerly entitled to 312 days' unemployment benefit has exhausted her right to 312 days' unemployment benefit within the period of 78 days ending on the date on which this subsection comes into operation, she shall be entitled to such benefit in respect of each day, up to a maximum of 78 days, of unemployment after that date, up to the 393rd day of unemployment in that period of interruption of employment.”.