S.I. No. 206/1999 - Social Welfare (Agreement With The Swiss Confederation on Social Security) Order, 1999

1. This Agreement shall remain in force for an indefinite period. It may be terminated by one of the Contracting States notifying the other, in which case the Agreement shall expire three calendar months following the month in which written notice has been given.

2. If this Agreement is terminated, the entitlements acquired by a person pursuant to its provisions shall be retained. Entitlements in the process of being acquired pursuant to these provisions shall be settled by agreement.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned, being duly authorised thereto, have signed and sealed this Agreement.

Done in Dublin, on 11 December 1997, in two originals, one in English, the other in German; both texts being equally authentic.

For the Government of Ireland

DERMOT AHERN,

For the Swiss Federal Council

3. The revision carried out by virtue of this Article shall not result in a reduction in the amount of benefit being paid before.

ARTICLE 30

4. This Agreement shall not apply to claims which have been settled by an indemnity or the refund of contributions.

ARTICLE 29

5. Notwithstanding paragraphs 1-4, the competent Irish institution shall, for the purpose of applying Article 16, take into account insurance periods completed under Swiss legislation.

ARTICLE 15

WHEREAS the arrangements in respect of matters relating to social security set out in the Agreement in the Schedule to this Order (hereinafter called “the Agreement”) were made by the Government of Ireland with the Swiss Federal Council;

AND WHEREAS it is provided in Article 31 of the Agreement that the Agreement is subject to the exchange of notification of compliance with statutory and constitutional requirements;

AND WHEREAS it is provided in Article 31 of the Agreement that the Agreement will come into force on the first day of the third month following the month in which the notifications of compliance with statutory and constitutional requirements have been received;

AND WHEREAS the aforesaid notifications of compliance with statutory and constitutional requirements were received in Ireland on 29 January 1999 (Swiss notification) and received in Switzerland on 22 April 1999 (Irish notification).

NOW THEREFORE the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs, in the exercise of the powers conferred on him by

Section 4

and

238

of the

Social Welfare (Consolidation) Act, 1993

(No. 27 of 1993), hereby makes the following Order:-