(1) At the beginning of subsection (1) of section 2 of the 1977 Act (which excludes certain employees) there shall be inserted "Except in so far as any provision of this Act otherwise provides", and in paragraph (a) of that subsection the words from "and whose" shall be omitted.

(2) In section 2(2) of the 1977 Act (which specifies dismissals in relation to which that Act does not apply) for paragraph (c) (inserted by the 1981 Act) there shall be substituted -

"(c) dismissal where the employee's employer at the commencement of the employment informs the employee in writing that the employment will terminate on the return to work with that employer of another employee who is absent from work while on protective leave or natal care absence, within the meaning of Part IV of the Maternity Protection Act, 1994, and the dismissal of the first-mentioned employee duly occurs for the purpose of facilitating the return to work of that other employee.".

(3) At the beginning of each of sections 3 and 4 of the 1977 Act (which relate to dismissal during probation, training or apprenticeship) there shall be inserted "Except in so far as any provision of this Act otherwise provides".