S.I. No. 471/2000 - Social Welfare Act, 2000 (Sections 8(1) (D) and 8 (1) (F)) (Commencement) Order, 2000.

The Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs, in exercise of the powers conferred on him by section 8 (3) of the Social Welfare Act, 2000 (No. 4 of 2000), hereby orders as follows:

Citation.

1. This Order may be cited as the Social Welfare Act, 2000 (Section 8(1)(d) and 8(1)(f)) (Commencement) Order, 2000.

Commencement.

2. The 21st day of December 2000, is hereby appointed as the day on which sections 8 (1) (d) and 8 (1) (f) of the Social Welfare Act, 2000 (No. 4 of 2000), shall come into operation.

	GIVEN under the Official Seal of the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs, this 20th day of December 2000.
	DERMOT AHERN,
	Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs.

EXPLANATORY NOTE.

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

This Order provides that Sections 8 (1)(d) and (f) of the Social Welfare Act, 2000 will come into effect on the 21st day of December, 2000.

Sections 8(1)(d) and (f) provide for a reduction in the employer social insurance contribution (Class A) by 0.7%. The standard rate is reduced from 12% to 11.3% and the lower rate from 8.5% to 7.8%.

This reduction is from 21st December 2000 to coincide with the introduction of the new National Training Fund Levy (0.7%), as announced in Budget 2000, to ensure that there is no overall increase in the employer's PRSI contribution.