Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)

On the issue of a single regulator, two recent reports stated this issue should be looked at and that, rather than appointing new regulators, we should try to give new regulatory roles to existing regulators. It also stated we should look at having a super-regulator and move away from having a host of regulators in different areas. There is sense in this proposal and the issue is being examined. While I do not believe one individual could do everything, it would make sense for one office to do it.

As the Deputy stated, the National Competitiveness Council has also made such a proposal. It has also raised the issues and burdens facing small companies, in particular, as a result of the way in which regulation is made. Since the White Paper was published, an amount of work has been done on this area. The key to the issue is to make regulatory impact analysis work by carrying out a strict examination before one starts a regulatory or legislative processon whether the process is needed, what it is about and what bureaucracy or red tape it will create. I have seen regulatory impact analysis work and it will make an enormous difference. As regards what is already in place, that is perhaps a different area. Regulatory impact analysis is working. It has been done in a number of pilot areas and must be extended. Much work has been done in this area.

The simple answer regarding IKEA is that the matter has to be examined. IKEA's proposal has been around for many years. The only aspect of it that changes is the location, it tends to vary in terms of the part of the country it wishes to locate. The proposal must be examined to see whether we are losing out by not having IKEA stores. Regarding the question of having only one IKEA store, I am not sure that would stand up to scrutiny, which is why there should be closer examination of the issue.

The number of IKEA products being brought into Ireland is enormous. Ballymun is a deserving place, but I have a difficulty, and this is the reason I agreed to regulations limiting the number of stores, in that if an IKEA furniture store is allowed, it will want to open stores selling clothes and other products. I am not sure that, under EU competition policy, that can be regulated. We are examining closely that issue. Good arguments are made about employment and that IKEA products are being brought into the country. IKEA produced a glossy booklet, distributed in most urban areas, that allows people to use its mail order service and many truckers bring in its products every week. The validity of allowing one store only would be extraordinarily difficult to defend. If store size is regulated for one company it must be regulated for every company. Otherwise the decision would be challenged within a month, with the argument put forward that what applies to one company should apply to all. That happened in other countries and it is a difficult issue.

Regarding pharmacists, the Competition Authority is close to completing its study of six or eight professional areas, and that report will be made available. The Department of Health and Children undertook an independent examination of the issue of professional qualifications and I think that work is completed. The Competition Authority indicates that people with qualifications from outside the country are able to enter most of these professional grades here. Already with most professions, including engineering and architects, no debarring mechanisms exist. From my reading of the last draft of the Competition Authority's report, it recommends that it is not compatible to restrict professionals coming from other countries.

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