Notice of the making of this Statutory Instrument was published in

"Iris Oifigiúil" of 30th January, 2015.

I, JOAN BURTON, Minister for Social Protection, in exercise of the powers conferred on me by sections 5, 50 and 50B (as amended by the Social Welfare and Pensions Act, 2014 ) of the Pensions Act 1990 (No. 25 of 1990), hereby make the following Regulations:

Citation

1. (1) These Regulations may be cited as the Occupational Pension Schemes (Sections 50 and 50B) (Amendment) Regulations, 2015.

(2) These Regulations and the Occupational Pension Schemes (Sections 50 and 50B) Regulations, 2014 shall be construed together as one and may be cited as the Occupational Pension Schemes (Sections 50 and 50B) Regulations, 2014 to 2015.

Amendment of the Occupational Pension Schemes section 50 and 50B Regulations

2. The Occupational Pension Schemes (Sections 50 and 50B) Regulations, 2014 are amended-

(a) in article 2(1) by inserting the following after the definition of "direction":

""representative group" means a group which:

(a) represents at least 50% of members of a scheme-

(i) whose service in relevant employment has ceased, who have not reached normal pensionable age and who have an entitlement to a preserved benefit or any other benefit under the scheme, or

(ii) who are receiving benefits under a scheme or who have reached normal pensionable age; and

(b) has notified the trustees that they represent those members."

(b) in article 4-

(i) in paragraph (1)(b) by inserting "or any representative group" after "trade union",

(ii) in paragraph (2)(c) by inserting "or any representative group" after "trade union",

(c) in article 5 by inserting "or any representative group" after "trade union",

(d) in article 6 by inserting "or any representative group" after "trade union".

GIVEN under the Official Seal of the Minister for Social Protection, this 22nd of January 2015

JOAN BURTON,

Minister for Social Protection.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

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

These regulations amend the Occupational Pensions Schemes (Section 50 and 50B) regulations, 2014 to extend the notification, submission and appeal provisions in those regulations to include a group representing the interests of pensioners and deferred scheme members.