S.I. No. 399/2003 - Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 2003 (Section 23) (Commencement) Order, 2003

1. This Order may be cited as the Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 2003 (Section 23) (Commencement) Order, 2003.

Commencement.

2. The 2nd day of September 2003 is appointed as the day on which

section 23

of the

Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2003

comes into operation.

GIVEN

under the Official Seal of the Minister for Social and Family Affairs, this 2nd day of September 2003.

MARY COUGHLAN

Minister for Social and Family Affairs.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Instrument and does not purport to be a legal interpretation.)

This Order provides for the commencement of

Section 23

of the

Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 2003

with effect from the 2nd September 2003.

Section 23

of the

Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 2003

provides for amendments to the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act 1997 to bring the Office of the Pensions Ombudsman, as established under the

Pensions (Amendment) Act, 2002

, within the scope of the FOI Act.

The amendment also provides that the FOI Act will not apply to any examination or investigation carried out by the Pensions Ombudsman under the Pensions Act.

The Minister for Social and Family Affairs, in exercise of the powers conferred on her by

section 1

(4) of the

Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 2003

(No. 4 of 2003) hereby orders as follows

Citation.