John Perry (Sligo-North Leitrim, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

That is going to EU tender at the moment. A review has been done of the 159 licences within the State and we expect that in the final quarter of this year the EU tender process, involving up to 40 different licences and 15 State authorities, will be complete. There will be a single portal for the issuing of licences. Within our Department there is a high-level group on business regulation and we have cut over €200 million from the cost of doing business. The establishment of local enterprise offices and easy access to setting up businesses through incoming company law will provide opportunities and ensure the laws of the State are proportionate to the size of the company. The high-level group has been very effective in many ways and we have a very effective committee that is representative of all sectors in the economy. We have taken many of the recommendations on board, particularly relating to the time taken to set up a company. The portal for licences will be on stream by the end of this year.

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