Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)

National and international surveys indicate that the administrative burden or red tape factor of regulation on business is not particularly onerous in Ireland. In a recent ESRI survey, over half of businesses stated that the level of regulation in their sector was about right. However, it is important we ensure that regulation remains balanced between cost and benefit and that we constantly strive to keep the administrative cost to the minimum. I intend to give strong commitment and leadership to reduction of regulation over the coming years.

On 8 March the Department of the Taoiseach published the results of an ESRI survey of business attitudes to regulation. At the same time the Taoiseach stated that the Government had agreed to put in place a new mechanism to tackle administrative burdens arising from national legislation in a targeted way. The Government also agreed that I should lead a Government-wide effort to drive this agenda. I have asked the Secretary General of my Department to chair a high level group representative of Departments, agencies, the business sector and the Irish Congress of Trade Unions to examine ways of reducing the administrative burden of regulations on the business sector. The intention is to bring the regulating Departments and agencies into direct contact with business representatives and the focus initially will be on areas that seem to be causing the biggest burden of form-filling, returns, reports, statistics etc.

The areas that this work will initially focus on have been decided based on the work of the business regulation forum, whose report I launched on 25 April, and the ESRI survey of business attitudes to regulation. These areas are taxation, health and safety, environmental regulation, statistical reporting and employment and company law. We will concentrate on these areas rather than taking a broad-brush approach. To further this work, my Department recently conducted two workshops with business people to discuss specific concerns. The outcome of these workshops will be fed directly into the work of the high level group.

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