PART III.

Amendments of the National Health Insurance Acts, 1911 to 1947.

14. —This Part shall come into operation on the 4th day of October, 1948.

15. —(1) In this Part—

the expression “the Act of 1920” means the National Health Insurance Act, 1920;

the expression “the Principal Act” means the National Insurance Act, 1911;

the expression “the Society” means Cumann an Árachais Náisiúnta ar Shláinte.

(2) This Part shall be construed as one with the National Health Insurance Acts, 1911 to 1947.

16. —(1) The contributions payable under the Principal Act in respect of employed contributors shall be at the rates set out in the Table to this section, instead of the rates specified in Part II of the First Schedule to the Act of 1920, and references in any enactment to Part II of the Second Schedule to the Principal Act shall be construed as references to the Table to this section.

(2) The reference in subsection (10) of section 81 of the Principal Act to the difference between the amount of contributions actually paid by or in respect of a contributor at the rate specified in Part II of the Second Schedule to the Principal Act and the amount which would have been paid if those contributions had been at the rate specified in Part I of that Schedule shall be construed as a reference to the sum of two pence.

Table to Section 16.

Rates of contributions in respect of employed contributors.

Contributions by Employers and Employed Contributors.

17. —In subsection (1) of section 15 of the National Health Insurance and Widows' and Orphans' Pensions Act, 1936 (No. 12 of 1936), the words “seven pence” shall be substituted for the words “four pence and one half-penny”.

18. —(1) The ordinary rate of sickness benefit shall be in the case of a man the sum of twenty-two shillings and sixpence a week and in the case of a woman the sum of eighteen shillings a week throughtout the whole period of twenty-six weeks.

(2) The rate of disablement benefit shall be in the case of a man fifteen shillings a week and in the case of a woman thirteen shillings and sixpence a week.

(3) In subsection (1) of section 12 of the National Health Insurance Act, 1918 (as amended by subsection (3) of section 2 of the Act of 1920), the words “sixteen shillings and sixpence” and the words “thirteen shillings and sixpence” shall be substituted for the words “nine shillings” and words “seven shillings and sixpence” respectively.

19. —In section 109 of the Principal Act, as amended by the Act of 1920, the words “ten shillings” shall be substituted for the words “seven shillings and sixpence”.

20. —(1) There shall be debited to the benefit fund of the Society, in respect of each member (not being a serving soldier) of the Society, for the year 1948 and for every succeeding year, such sum as the Minister may, with the consent of the Minister for Finance, determine.

(2) The sums directed by subsection (1) of this section to be debited to the benefit fund of the Society shall be credited to the Medical Certification Fund.

(3) For the purpose of calculating the total sums to be debited to the benefit fund of the Society under this section, the total number of members (not being serving soldiers) of the Society shall be calculated in such manner as the Minister shall direct.

21. —So much of the moneys payable under paragraph (5) of Article 3 of the Social Welfare (Substitutive Allowances) Order, 1948 (S.I. No. 8 of 1948), by the Minister to public assistance authorities as is referable to seven-ninths of the payments made by those authorities under paragraph (1) of the said Article 3 shall be paid out of the National Health Insurance Fund to the Exchequer.

22. —The Committee of Management of the Society, with the approval of the Minister, may make rules for the administration of the affairs of the Society, and may revoke or amend any of the existing rules.