Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005 section 289A

Arrangements with payment service providers

Section 289A allows the Minister to enter into arrangements with payment service providers to assist with the delivery of social welfare benefit and assistance payments, subject to the consent of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform.

• The Minister may engage a "payment service provider" to deliver services related to the payment of social welfare benefit or assistance
• Any such arrangement requires the prior consent of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform
• The payment service provider's role is limited to assisting with functions conferred on the Minister under the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005
• This provision was introduced by the Social Welfare and Pensions Act 2014 to facilitate outsourcing of payment delivery functions