Cap. 318 ст. 129Functions of the Social Assistance Board.

(1) The functions of the Board shall be to examine the cases referred to it by the Director under article 30(5), and to determine whether, in the particular circumstances of each case,

Social Assistance should be paid in respect of the household concerned, and where the Board has determined that such assistance is payable, to establish the amount of such assistance and to designate the person to whom, in the best interests of the household, payment of such assistance shall be made.

(2) In addition to the functions referred to in sub-article (1), the Board shall also examine cases wherein in terms of paragraphs 3 and/or 4 of the Emergency Assistance Order 1989, the Director General (Social and Family Affairs) appointed by the Prime Minister is of the opinion that the limits laid down therein need to be exceeded.

(3) It shall be the duty of the Board to treat each case with the utmost urgency and to arrive at a decision in the shortest possible time.

(4) For the discharge of its functions under this Act the Board shall be empowered -

(a) to require any person to appear before it to give information under oath or affirmation;

(b) to require any person to produce before it any books or other documents.

The oath shall be administered by the Chairman.

(5) The weekly amount of Social Assistance which the Board may authorise under sub-article (1) shall not exceed the amount to which the head of household would, but for the fact that he is not registered under Part I of the Employment Register kept in accordance with the provisions of the Employment Service Act, have been entitled under this Act, sohowever that no account shall be taken of the head of household in determining the number of persons in that household for the purposes of Part I of the Sixth Schedule to this Act.

(6) The maximum amount of Emergency Assistance in cash which the Board may authorize under sub-article (2) shall not exceed €33.78 in any period of 7 consecutive days but may nonetheless continue to be paid for any such period of time as the Board may determine in the circumstances of the case.

(7) The amount of Emergency Assistance in kind which the Board may authorize under sub-article (2) shall not be subjected to any limit but the Board shall ensure, as far as possible, that the items that need to be purchased beyond the limit laid down in paragraph 4 of the Emergency Assistance Order, 1989 are absolutely necessary and that the expenditure thereon will be contained within justified reasonable limits.

(8) Any decision taken by the Board under this article shall be final and conclusive.