Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)

I agree that this is one of the easier countries in which to set up business. However, it is the cost of doing the business afterwards that causes the problem. I will give two examples. A person employing eight people in a small industry in, for example, County Offaly, County Laois or wherever else, has to spend a half a day per week dealing with paperwork to do with regulations of one sort or another. In the case of a person who goes from, say, unemployment benefit to unemployment assistance, he or she will be handed at least six, if not eight, application forms at the social welfare office with the same information to be physically transferred on to each when an electronic recording system could deal with it in less time. Will the Government set out a standard cost model that would cut the cost of red tape on businesses? This has been done in many other places before and would be easy to do if the Taoiseach instructed it.

In early 2008 the Economist Intelligence Unit, on behalf of the Government, undertook an independent benchmarking report to address the need for stronger international data and benchmarks in assessing the comparative efficiency and effectiveness of key economic regulators and regulations. It was to take approximately six months and a report was due last September but it was then extended to the end of November. It still has not been completed and the cost to date has been over €300,000. It should be an interesting document in helping business to be more efficient. When does the Taoiseach expect the report to be published?

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