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Part III (Sickness Benefit), Article 17, and Part IV (Unemployment Benefit), Article 23. The Committee notes the information supplied by the Government concerning the extension of the qualifying period required for entitlement to sickness benefit and unemployment benefit following the adoption of the Social Welfare Act, 1987. It notes in particular that this Act changed the first of the qualifying periods for sickness benefit and unemployment benefit set out in section 19, paragraph 1(a) and section 30, paragraph 1(a) of the Social Welfare (Consolidation) Act, 1981, so that it is now necessary, in order to be entitled to these benefits, to have accumulated qualifying contributions in respect of 39 contribution weeks since the claimant's entry into insurance (whereas 26 contribution weeks were sufficient previously). The Committee would be grateful if the Government would supply detailed information in its next report on the reasons why this extension was made to the qualifying period in view of the provisons of Articles 17 and 23 of the Convention.