Notice of the making of this Statutory Instrument was published in

“Iris Oifigiúil” of 7th August, 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 Government by order dated 1st May 2020 entitled the Health (Preservation and Protection and other Emergency Measures in the Public Interest) Act 2020 (Continuation of Part 2) Order 2020 ( S.I. No. 155 of 2020 ) declared that the amendments effected by the said Part 2 shall continue in operation for the period beginning on the 9th day of May 2020 and ending on the 19th day of June 2020;

AND WHEREAS the Government by further order dated 5th June 2020 entitled the Health (Preservation and Protection and other Emergency Measures in the Public Interest) Act 2020 (Continuation of Part 2) (No. 2) Order 2020 (S.I. No. 207 of 2020) declared that the amendments effected by the said Part 2 shall continue in operation for the period beginning on the 20th day of June 2020 and ending on the 10th day of August 2020;

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 subsection (4) of section 2 of the Health (Preservation and Protection and other Emergency Measures in the Public Interest) Act 2020 , hereby order as follows:

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) (No. 3) Order 2020.

2. In this Order, “Act of 2020” means the Health (Preservation and Protection and other Emergency Measures in the Public Interest) Act 2020 (No. 1 of 2020).

3. The amendments effected by sections 4, 5 and 6 of Part 2 of the Act of 2020 shall continue in operation for the period beginning on the 11th day of August 2020 and ending on the 31st day of March 2021.

4. The amendments effected by sections 7 and 8 of Part 2 of the Act of 2020 shall continue in operation for the period beginning on the 11th day of August 2020 and ending on the 17th day of September 2020.

GIVEN under the Official Seal of the Government,

4 August, 2020.

MICHEÁL MARTIN,

Taoiseach.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

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

The Health (Preservation and Protection and other Emergency Measures in the Public Interest) Act 2020 (Continuation of Part 2) Order 2020 ( S.I. No.155 of 2020 ) extended 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) from their original expiry date of 9 May 2020 until 19 June 2020.

The Health (Preservation and Protection and other Emergency Measures in the Public Interest) Act 2020 (Continuation of Part 2) (No. 2) Order 2020 (S.I. No. 207 of 2020) further extended 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 until 10 August 2020.

This Order further extends the amendments effected by Part 2 of the Health (Preservation and Protection and other Emergency Measures in the Public Interest) Act 2020 , to 31 March 2021 as respects sections 4, 5 and 6, and to 17 September 2020 as respects sections 7 and 8.