Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 452: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if his Department was required to take part in the interdepartmental group on administrative burden reduction; if his Department has yet listed information obligations that his Department's regulations impose on business; if so, the number of information obligations listed; if his Department has yet assessed which requirements are the most burdensome; if his Department has measured the actual cost to business of the most burdensome requirements and if so, the total cost. [40350/10]

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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My Department is participating in the Inter-Departmental Group on Administrative Burden Reduction which is being led by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Innovation in order to achieve the 25% target set by Government in 2008 for the reduction in the cost of the administrative burden of domestic regulation on business by 2012. My Department has examined its primary and secondary legislation since 2001 and has identified 209 information obligations stemming from 51 pieces of legislation for which the Department is responsible. Of these 209 information obligations, the 20 obligations which appear to create the greatest burden have been identified.

To ensure consistency in the measurement of the actual costs to business stemming from information obligations across all Departments and Agencies concerned, the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Innovation is arranging to conduct the cost measurement process on the basis of a methodology used throughout EU Member States. I understand that this process will be completed in 2011, at which stage the actual costs to business will be identified. Following measurement, my Department will prepare a simplification plan, which will target any unnecessary information obligations, streamline systems and remove any duplication of requirements on business as far as possible in order to contribute towards achieving the 25% reduction in costs to business by 2012.