Conor Lenihan (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)

Since 2005, all Departments have been required to conduct regulatory impact analyses, RIAs, in respect of all primary legislation, significant secondary legislation, EU directives and significant EU regulations. In addition, policy review groups charged with examining legislative proposals are also required to undertake an RIA. Since May 2008, my Department has carried out four screening RIAs in line with the established guidelines prepared by the Department of the Taoiseach. In addition, my Department is currently conducting several further assessments.

Under the Towards 2016 social partnership agreement, there was a commitment to review the RIA process in 2007. This review was carried out by the Department of the Taoiseach and published in July 2008. Several recommendations were made in regard to the changes required to the RIA process and the implementation of these recommendations is ongoing. They include the need for increased publication of RIAs; an improvement in the quality of some RIAs, with an increased emphasis on the measurement of costs and benefits; and specific guidance on the measurement of potential administrative and compliance costs, especially on business.

Revised RIA guidelines which take account of these and other issues raised in the context of the review are being finalised by the Department of the Taoiseach and will be published shortly. I understand the revised guidelines will advise all Departments to measure administrative burdens as part of their RIAs in future, in order to ensure the RIA process complements the targeted administrative burden reduction programme, dealing with existing legislation, which my Department is leading. This process should ensure the minimum administrative burden is imposed on business by new legislation. In addition, the RIA training course, operated in conjunction with the Civil Service training and development centre, has been revised to take account of the review findings and now contains a specific module on RIA and the so-called business perspective.

Addition information not given on the floor of the House.

Regulatory impact analysis is an important tool which helps to support the development of proportionate, effective and targeted legislation. It is essential that each Department adheres to the requirements of the RIA process and ensures RIAs are published in a timely and accessible fashion. In this regard, my officials will continue to work with the RIA network and the better regulation unit in the Department of the Taoiseach in order to continue to refine the approach we take when developing new legislation. This will ensure that legislative proposals continue to be proportionate, striking the right balance between the often competing rights of workers, consumers and individual enterprises on the one hand and, on the other, freedom for business to take quick decisions to adjust to global market competition.

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