S.I. No. 155/2020 - Health (Preservation and Protection and other Emergency Measures in the Public Interest) Act 2020 (Continuation of Part 2) Order 2020

1. This Order may be cited as the Health (Preservation and Protection and other Emergency Measures in the Public Interest) Act 2020 (Continuation of Part 2) Order 2020.

2. The amendments effected by Part 2 of the

Health (Preservation and Protection and other Emergency Measures in the Public Interest) Act 2020

(No. 1 of 2020) shall continue in operation for the period beginning on the 9th day of May 2020 and ending on the 19th day of June 2020.

GIVEN under the Official Seal of the Government,

1 May, 2020.

LEO VARADKAR,

Taoiseach.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(

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

)

This Order extends, until 19th June 2020, the operation of the amendments effected by Part 2 of the

Health (Preservation and Protection and other Emergency Measures in the Public Interest) Act 2020

[No. 1 of 2020]

to the

Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005

. These provisions currently expire on 9th May 2020.

The effect of the extension is to allow the payment of enhanced Illness Benefit to those who are diagnosed with Covid-19 or who are deemed to be a probable source of infection of same or by order under the

Health Act 1947

until the 19

th

of June. This Order also allows the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection to extend until the same date, by regulation, the waiving of the three day waiting period for Jobseeker’s Benefit and Jobseeker’s Allowance.

Notice of the making of this Statutory Instrument was published in

“Iris Oifigiúil” of

5

th May,

2020.

WHEREAS Part 2 of the

Health (Preservation and Protection and other Emergency Measures in the Public Interest) Act 2020

(No. 1 of 2020) amended and extended the Social Welfare Acts to provide for amendments in relation to entitlement to illness benefit for persons who have been diagnosed with, or are a probable source of infection with the disease known as Covid-19; and to provide for amendments in relation to jobseeker’s benefit and jobseeker’s allowance to mitigate the economic effects of the spread of the disease known as Covid-19;

AND WHEREAS subsection (3)(a) of

section 2

of the

Health (Preservation and Protection and Other Emergency Measures in the Public Interest) Act 2020

provided that amendments effected by Part 2 of that Act shall, subject to subsection (4) of section 2 of that Act, continue in operation until the 9th day of May 2020;

AND WHEREAS subsection (4) of the said section 2 provided that the Government, at the request of the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection following consultation with any other Minister of the Government as he or she considers appropriate having regard to the functions of that Minister of the Government, may where they are satisfied that it is in the public interest to do so, from time to time, by order declare that all or any of the amendments effected by the said Part 2 shall continue in operation for such period or periods as may be specified in the order concerned;

AND WHEREAS the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection, having considered it appropriate to do so has consulted the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, the Minister for Health and the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation and, following such consultation, has made a request in accordance with the said subsection (4) of section 2;

Now the Government, being satisfied that it is in the public interest to do so, and in exercise of the powers conferred on them by

section 2

(4) of the

Health (Preservation and Protection and other Emergency Measures in the Public Interest) Act 2020

, hereby order as follows