Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)

To give a fuller position on it, there are many issues where RIA comes into play, for example, significant negative impacts on national competitiveness or socially excluded or vulnerable groups, examination of significant environment change, significant policy change in an economic market will have a significant impact on competition and consumers, proposals that will disproportionately impinge on the rights of citizens or impose a disproportionate compliance burden, or the cost to the Exchequer or third parties is significant or disproportionate. A full RIA will be required when one of the factors to which I referred applies and these are the factors that will drive an RIA. When these difficulties arise, an RIA will be done.

The Deputy asked about the forces of change. We all have a role to play — Ministers, Departments, State agencies and the regulators — in bringing change and looking at new ideas. The regulator is in a position where those whom he regulates make detailed reports to him. These are the substantial reports on how they want to act and why they are doing so. He then must determine whether a report is one to which he is prepared to accede and whether it makes sense. He has a key role in all that. He is not the only one to decide the matter but he has a useful role to play in it.

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