Willie Penrose (Longford-Westmeath, Labour)

I have a particular interest in this area as well. Our committee set up a red tape index to measure bureaucracy in business. Is the Minister of State aware of the legislation and regulations small business owners are forced to read, understand and implement? There are almost 1,000 different major legislative items that affect the business. These include taxation, industrial relations and health and safety. It is an incredible amount. I realise some are important so I will not deviate from the topic. We should see if we can all achieve something.

Will the Minister of State request each Department to carry out a full audit of legislation under its remit on the cost burden of business against the benefits of legislation? From such an assessment a decision can be made as to how regulations can be streamlined. ISME has advocated the standard cost model, which is used in many jurisdictions, as the preferred option for this process. Would it not also be essential that a central co-ordinating body with relevant powers be given the necessary role to carry out this process, under a single ministry within a given time frame, and which would specify targets on administrative burden reduction within each Department? Will the Minister of State consider the introduction of regulation impact assessments which should be put included in all legislation and regulations imposed on small business? This would include formal assessments to be carried out, based on merited exemptions for small businesses pertaining to this legislation. A small business, such as a shop with ten employees, has to complete 50 forms, including some for the Central Statistics Office, and there are criminal sanctions for those who do not comply. It is time to get our house in order. We must try to ensure that small businesses, which are the bedrock of this economy, do not have to carry the burden of all that red tape and bureaucracy.

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