PART I

Preliminary and General

1. —(1) This Act may be cited as the Social Welfare (Amendment) Act, 1978.

(2) This Act, other than section 15, shall be construed as one with the Social Welfare Acts, 1952 to 1978, and shall be included in the collective citation, the Social Welfare Acts, 1952 to 1978.

(3) Section 15 shall be construed as one with the Insurance (Intermittent Unemployment) Acts, 1942 to 1976, and may be cited together with them as the Insurance (Intermittent Unemployment) Acts, 1942 to 1978.

2. —(1) In this Act—

“the Act of 1952” means the Social Welfare Act, 1952 ;

“the Acts” means the Social Welfare Acts, 1952 to 1978;

“the Minister” means the Minister for Social Welfare.

(2) In this Act a reference to a section is to a section of this Act, unless it is indicated that reference to another Act is intended.

(3) In this Act a reference to a subsection is to a subsection of the section in which the reference occurs, unless it is indicated that reference to another section is intended.

3. —This Act shall come into operation on such day or days as may be fixed by order or orders of the Minister made with the consent of the Minister for Finance, either generally or with reference to a particular provision, and different days may be so fixed for different provisions of this Act, or for the same provision in relation to different cases or classes of case.