Social Welfare (Occupational Injuries) (Amendment) (No. 1) (Miscellaneous Provisions) Regulations 2006

• Statutory Instrument No.: 695/2006
• Date: 11 December 2006

S.I. No. 695 of 2006
SOCIAL WELFARE (OCCUPATIONAL INJURIES) (AMENDMENT) (No. 1) (MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS) REGULATIONS 2006
The Minister for Social and Family Affairs, in exercise of the powers conferred on him by sections 4 (as amended by section 17 and Schedule 3 of the Social Welfare Law Reform and Pensions Act 2006 ), 86, 87, 89, 241 (as amended by sections 4 and 17 and Schedules 1 and 3 of the Social Welfare Law Reform and Pensions Act 2006 ), 242, 244 (as amended by sections 4, 17 and 29 and Schedules 1, 3 and 6 of the Social Welfare Law Reform and Pensions Act 2006 ), 249 (as amended by sections 4 and 17 and Schedules 1 and 3 of the Social Welfare Law Reform and Pensions Act 2006 ) and 251 (as amended by section 29 and Schedule 6 of the Social Welfare Law Reform and Pensions Act 2006 ) of the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005 (No. 26 of 2005), hereby makes the following Regulations:
	Citation and construction.	1.(1) These Regulations may be cited as the Social Welfare (Occupational Injuries) (Amendment) (No. 1) (Miscellaneous Provisions) Regulations 2006.
	Commencement.	2. These Regulations come into operation on 15 December 2006.
	Amendments to claims provisions.	3. The Social Welfare (Claims and Payments) Regulations 1952 ( S.I. No. 374 of 1952 ) are amended -
(a) in article 11A (as amended by article 8 of the Social Welfare (Amendment of Miscellaneous Social Insurance Provisions) Regulations 1986 ( S.I. No. 81 of 1986 ) by substituting for paragraph (d) the following:
“(d) in the case of death benefit, the period of 3 months commencing on the date of death of deceased,
(e) in the case of medical care, 6 weeks from the date of commencement of such care.”,
(b) in Part V, by inserting after article 15 the following:
“Nominated persons.
15A.(1) A claimant or beneficiary may nominate another person to receive payment of benefit on his or her behalf and subject to the consent of the Minister, such benefit may be payable to the person so nominated.
(2) Every nomination under sub-article (1) -
(a) shall be made to the Minister in the form for the time being approved by him or her, and
(b) may be revoked by the claimant or beneficiary on giving notice in writing of that fact to the Minister.
(3) The Minister may, where he or she considers it appropriate, withdraw his or her consent to a nomination under sub-article (1) and in such case the person so nominated shall, on receipt of a notice of such withdrawal, deliver to the Minister the order book, if any, issued to him or her.
Payable orders.
15B. (1) In the case of benefit payable by means of an order, the Minister shall cause arrangements to be made whereby, on furnishing such evidence as to identity and such other particulars as may be required, a claimant or beneficiary shall obtain a book of orders.
(2) A book of orders issued to any person shall remain the property of the Minister.
(3) Any person having a book of orders or any unpaid orders in respect of benefit or medical care payment shall at the request of an officer of the Minister, deliver such orders to such person as the officer may direct.
(4) A person who fails to comply with articles 13(1) or 15A(3) or sub-article
(3) of this article shall be guilty of an offence.
Extinguishment of right to payment.
15C.(1) Subject to sub-article (2), where benefit has been awarded and is in payment to a person, the right to any sum payable by way of the benefit shall be extinguished where payment of the benefit is not obtained within 6 months.
(2) Sub-article (1) shall not apply in respect of any benefit where a deciding officer or an appeals officer is satisfied that entitlement to the payment exists and where -
(a) the sum payable is not received within the time allowed in sub-article (1) due to the mental or other incapacity of the beneficiary or his or her approved agent, or
(b) in any other case where a deciding officer or appeals officer is satisfied that there was good cause for the delay in claiming the payment within the time allowed in sub-article (1).”, and
(c) by inserting after article 17A (as amended by article 2 of the Social Welfare (Claims and Payments) (Amendment) Regulations 1971 ( S.I. No. 233 of 1971 )) the following:
“Absence from State.
17B.(1) Notwithstanding section 249, a person who is absent from the State shall not be disqualified for receiving -
(a) death benefit (including any increases thereof), by reason only of the person being absent from the State,
(b) injury benefit (including any increase thereof) during such period as the Minister may allow, having regard to the circumstances of the case, if the absence is temporary and for the specific purpose of receiving treatment for incapacity which commenced before the person left the State,
(c) disablement benefit (other than any increase thereof) by reason only of the person being absent from the State,
(d) disablement pension by reason only of being absent from the State, including increases -
(i) under section 78 where constant attendance is required and the period of absence from the State does not exceed 6 months,
(ii) by way of incapacity supplement during such period as the Minister may allow having regard to the circumstances of the case if the absence is for the specific purpose of receiving treatment for incapacity which commenced before the person left the State or the absence is for a period in respect of which an increase is payable under section 78,
(iii) under section 76 in respect of a qualified child where the person is entitled to receive incapacity supplement.
(2) Funeral grant shall be payable in respect of a death, occurring outside the State if the deceased, immediately before death was -
(a) employed in insurable (occupational injuries) employment, or
(b) entitled to and not disqualified for receiving injury benefit or disablement benefit.
(3) For the purposes of sub-article (2), a person shall be deemed to be entitled to injury benefit if he or she would, but for the failure to make a claim, have been so entitled.
Exception from disqualification during penal servitude, imprisonment or detention in legal custody.
17C. (1) (a) Section 249 shall not operate so as to disqualify a person for receiving any occupational injuries benefit (including, subject to paragraph (b), any increases thereof) in respect of any period during which the person is detained (other than in the case of a person found not guilty by reason of insanity under the provisions of the Criminal Law (Insanity) Act 2006 (No. 11 of 2006)) in any institution for the treatment of mental illness or infectious disease.
(b) No increase in respect of a qualified child shall be payable to a person to whom paragraph (a) applies.
(2) (a) Subject to paragraph (b), a person shall not be disqualified for receiving disablement benefit (other than any increase thereof) for any period during which he or she is undergoing penal servitude, imprisonment or detention in legal custody.
(b) The amount of disablement benefit payable by virtue of paragraph (a) by way of any disablement pension or pensions in respect of any period, other than a period in respect of which that person is excepted from disqualification by virtue of the provisions of sub-article (1), during which that person is and has continuously been undergoing penal servitude, imprisonment or detention in legal custody shall not exceed in the aggregate the amount of €3,000 or the total amount payable by way of such pension or all such pensions for a period of one year, whichever is the lesser amount.
(3) Subject to sub-article (1), section 249 shall not operate so as to disqualify a person undergoing a period of penal servitude, imprisonment or detention in legal custody -
(a) for receiving disablement benefit by way of gratuity, death benefit by way of orphan's pension, widower's gratuity or funeral grant,
(b) for receiving injury benefit, disablement benefit or death benefit (including any increase thereof), if -
(i) the detention is in respect of his or her being charged with a criminal offence, and
(ii) the charge is subsequently withdrawn or he or she is acquitted of the offence, and
(iii) in the case of injury benefit or disablement benefit, immediately before the detention he or she was entitled to the said benefit or would, but for sections 74(2) or 75(3) have been so entitled,
(c) for receiving injury benefit, disablement benefit or death benefit (including any increase thereof) if, in a case of imprisonment, the imprisonment is undergone as the alternative to...