Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)

I asked the Taoiseach was there an RIA considered for the social welfare fund regulators and why was it not published. That is a change in the legislative framework. Second, was a full RIA published in the case of the Carbon Fund Act 2007, involving significant expenditure of €207 million? The Taoiseach also stated that these were to be published on websites. Of the 200 RIAs he mentioned, how many are up on websites for public scrutiny?

In 2001, the OECD issued a report which stated clearly that the Government should make far greater efforts to reduce red tape and administrative burdens on the regulatory framework involving business, which was being strangled. Four years later the Government set up the Business Regulation Forum chaired by Donal de Buitléir and arising from that the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Deputy Martin, stated that a red tape reduction target would be set within two months. The Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Deputy Michael Ahern, admitted recently that this target had not been kept but that another review group was set up.

Given that the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Deputy Gormley, who seems to be around the country collecting patio heaters, is now sending county council workers in to assess farmers for various activities, can we not get clarity from Government on the real drive here to have a target for reduction of red tape and administrative burdens, which are strangling small businesses and the self-employed all over the country? There were some welcome changes in the Finance Bill, but the target announced by the Minister, Deputy Martin, was never decided upon and the Minister of State, Deputy Michael Ahern, stated that target, whatever it was, cannot be met and there is now another review group. We are in a very difficult situation where we are clearly losing out on competitiveness and Government can have an impact on this by reducing red tape and administrative burden.

Will Government state its target for reduction of red tape, by 2% per year or whatever, and give the dates by which that will be achieved, and let those who want to operate within the system and drive their businesses do so?

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