Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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485. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection her plans to update the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20805/19]

Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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Since its enactment in 2005, the Social Welfare Consolidation Act has been extensively amended by subsequent Social Welfare Acts, as well a number of other non-Social Welfare Acts and Orders. In order to make Social Welfare Legislation more accessible, my Department has published an administrative consolidation of Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005 on www.welfare.ie.

In order to make Social Welfare Legislation more accessible, my Department has recently commenced working collaboratively with the Law Reform Commission for the purpose of preparing and publishing a Revised Version of the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005. This will incorporate all amendments to the SWCA 2005 which have been made in 26 Social Welfare Amendment Acts and 14 other Acts of the Oireachtas. The Revised Act will also include editorial details of the several hundred Statutory Instruments made under the SWCA 2005, or made under earlier legislation but continued in force by Section 362(2) of SWCA 2005. It is envisaged that this work will take at least 12 months to complete.

When this work is completed will be very beneficial and will ensure that the body of Social Welfare law will be more accessible and can be kept up-to-date into the future.