Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 2 to 6, inclusive, together.

The OECD report, Regulatory Reform in Ireland, was published in 2001. In response, the Government published the White Paper, Regulating Better, in 2004 which provides the framework for advancing the better regulation agenda in Ireland. Some of the recommendations and actions outlined in the OECD report and the White Paper relate to individual sectors and relevant Ministers are responsible for reporting directly to the House on them.

The Better Regulation unit in my Department is tasked with the overall promotion of the better regulation agenda across the Government. There are no plans to alter these arrangements. I would like to briefly outline for the House progress made in the areas of regulatory impact analysis and modernisation of the Statute Book.

Since 2005, regulatory impact analysis must be applied to all proposals for primary legislation, significant statutory instruments, draft EU directives and significant regulations. The report of the independent review of the operation of regulatory impact analysis was published in July 2008 and is available on the Better Regulation website. The Government has agreed to implement the recommendations set out in the report. While many of these recommendations are for individual Departments to implement, the Better Regulation unit of my Department, in partnership with the network dealing with regulatory impact analysis across Departments, which it chairs, is steering work on a number of overarching recommendations.

Revised guidelines for regulatory impact analysis are expected to be presented to the Government shortly. These guidelines take account of the recommendations set out in the review and address, in particular, the need for improved methodological guidance and for further information on the use of regulatory impact analysis within the context of the EU decision-making process. An updated training course for officials involved in producing such analysis is now available. These training materials reflect the content of the revised guidelines and emphasise the importance of minimising regulatory burdens.

The statute law revision project, which is steered by my Department in partnership with the Office of the Attorney General, has already resulted in the repeal of thousands of redundant and obsolete Acts. The current phase focuses on pre-1922 legislation and a further Bill, dealing with local and personal Acts up to and including 1850 and private Acts up to and including 1750, will be published shortly. Private Acts are those which are concerned with the affairs of a single individual or body, and local and personal Acts are concerned with matters affecting a very limited section of the community such as a single local authority or company.

The Law Reform Commission is also undertaking a programme of statute law restatement involving up to 40 Acts which is expected to be completed by the end of the year. The process of restatement makes legislation more accessible by providing a single text that incorporates all amendments to date.

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