Tony McCormack (Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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13. To ask the Taoiseach for an update on his Department’s plans to co-ordinate a range of actions aimed at regulatory reform. [50582/25]

Albert Dolan (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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14. To ask the Taoiseach for an update on his Department’s plans to co-ordinate a range of actions aimed at regulatory reform. [58232/25]

Ruairí Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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15. To ask the Taoiseach for an update on his Department's plans to co-ordinate a range of actions aimed at regulatory reform. [63260/25]

Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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16. To ask the Taoiseach for an update on his Department's plans to co-ordinate a range of actions aimed at regulatory reform. [63269/25]

Malcolm Byrne (Wicklow-Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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17. To ask the Taoiseach for an update on his Department’s plans to co-ordinate a range of actions aimed at regulatory reform. [63479/25]

Cian O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay North, Social Democrats)
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18. To ask the Taoiseach for an update on his Department’s plans to co-ordinate a range of actions aimed at regulatory reform. [63906/25]

James O'Connor (Cork East, Fianna Fail)
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19. To ask the Taoiseach his Department's plans to co-ordinate a range of actions aimed at regulatory reform. [65261/25]

Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Solidarity)
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20. To ask the Taoiseach for an update on his Department’s plans to co-ordinate a range of actions aimed at regulatory reform. [65601/25]

Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, Solidarity)
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21. To ask the Taoiseach about his Department’s plans to co-ordinate a range of actions aimed at regulatory reform. [65781/25]

Liam Quaide (Cork East, Social Democrats)
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22. To ask the Taoiseach for an update on his Department’s plans to co-ordinate a range of actions aimed at regulatory reform. [67527/25]

Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein)
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23. To ask the Taoiseach his Department’s plans to co-ordinate a range of actions aimed at regulatory reform. [67793/25]

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 13 to 23, inclusive, together.

Regulation, and the extent of any regulatory or administrative burden, has recently become a greater focus at European Union level and nationally as a means to further enhance competitiveness. At a European level, both simplification and implementation are important Commission priorities. The Commission is striving to simplify and lighten the administrative burden of European Union regulations to ensure they are proportionate, stable, coherent and technologically neutral.

Likewise, our national regulatory framework is a central focus for the Government as we strive to support competitiveness at a time of international economic uncertainty. In line with the programme for Government, we published an action plan on competitiveness and productivity on 10 September this year. The action plan includes actions across government to ensure the development of a more effective regulatory system which will support economic growth.

These actions reflect priority areas where targeted public policy intervention can have the greatest impact. These include a red-tape challenge to reduce regulation for SMEs; the application of the SME test by Government Departments to all measures, in particular policy initiatives where it is proposed to increase costs on small businesses; expediting the Environmental (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill; commencing reforms, as we have done, under the Planning and Development Act 2024 to enhance delivery of infrastructure; and implementing the outstanding recommendations from the review of the administration of civil justice review group report.

Increased regulatory burden has also been identified as a barrier to infrastructure development and delivery. The Minister, Deputy Chambers, supported by the work of the accelerating infrastructure task force, this morning, with Government colleagues including me, the Tánaiste and the Minister of State, Deputy Harkin, published a plan which will include extensive regulatory reforms aimed at accelerating the delivery of critical infrastructure.

Today's plan provides the blueprint to reduce complexity and blockages in the system and deliver infrastructure with urgency. The changes we are initiating today are vital if we are to maintain our competitive position in an ever uncertain world. They are also necessary to support our citizens with top class public services, job security, access to housing and all other facilities necessary to enjoy the stability and good quality of life we are all entitled to expect.

The actions are ambitious but achievable, and delivering them will require commitment and co-operation across a broad and diverse range of stakeholders, from political, legal and public sectors, industry and society as a whole. We have established a cost-of-business advisory forum where business owners and representative bodies can speak directly to decision-makers about the real-world impact of regulations, fees and operational challenges. The work of that forum is under way. The Minister, Deputy McEntee, is working on the simplification omnibus packages put forward by the European Commission in a range of policy areas, most recently the Commission's digital simplification omnibus package, which was published last month.

My Department will play a co-ordinating role across these different regulatory reform initiatives, as outlined in the action plan on competitiveness and productivity, including the establishment of a central economic regulators' forum, and we will work with the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment and other Government colleagues on that agenda.

Tony McCormack (Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Taoiseach for his response. I acknowledge the significant work he, the Minister, Deputy Chambers, and their two Departments are doing on infrastructure reform, particularly the steps being taken to modernise planning, reduce delays and ensure major projects move forward. Infrastructure reform is vital, but businesses and especially SMEs are also calling for a more streamlined regulatory environment. These firms consistently cite overlapping rules, slow approvals and heavy administrative demands as major obstacles to growth. Building on the work already happening on infrastructure, will the Taoiseach update the House on what specific measures his Department is pursuing to simplify compliance for SMEs, reduce unnecessary paperwork and make it easier for businesses to operate and expand? How will these reforms help to lower costs for employers and the taxpayer by making the system more efficient overall?

Albert Dolan (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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It is vital that when we speak about regulatory reform, we talk about the administrative operations of existing systems in the function of the State. I will specifically reflect on the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, SEAI, and the roll-out of grants. We are about to have a debate in this Chamber on energy costs. One thing that is vital is that the best way the Government can help to reduce energy costs in homes is to retrofit them for the future so that they simply do not need as much energy. That is the number one way to reduce the cost and it facilitates homes to be more efficient and takes pressure off the grid. The Government needs to do something to accelerate the rate at which homes can be retrofitted by the SEAI. For many constituents in my constituency, it is taking too long to get through the process of approval of the grant to construction.

Ruairí Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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We all accept there are huge issues with bureaucracy and red tape in planning. We should have seen simplification and streamlining. Conversations about this are occurring across Europe, but we know about the home-grown issues. It is an issue I have brought up previously, even within the planning systems involving State authorities. For example, Louth County Council is involved in the Ardee Education Together National School build and a particular issue has arisen. We do not have enough agility in the system. Multiple requests have gone in stating that there are not enough parking spaces. There are 21 spaces, including three disability spaces. There are only two set-down spaces for minibuses and there is a need for five as there are five autism spectrum disorder, ASD, classes and there is not even room for a full-size 52-seater bus to turn. There are 21 spaces for staff and there is a need for something closer to 40.

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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Thank you, Deputy.

Ruairí Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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It is possible to get this work done at this time, but if the works continue as planned, the problem will still need to be fixed but it could take more than €100,000, so we need something to be done.

Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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I raise the regulation of social media companies in the online space, particularly as it relates to children. The criticism that has been levelled at Coimisiún na Meán's online safety code is that an earlier draft had a recommendation that social media companies turn off recommender systems and it has been removed. Recommender systems profile people who are using apps and then drive them down often hateful and dangerous rabbit holes. It is not healthy for them or society. Will this be looked at?

Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Solidarity)
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I raise regulatory reform of immigration and particularly family reunification. It is now being made much harder for many essential workers to be unified with their families, in particular migrant healthcare assistants who were brought over here on a visa programme and are working in private nursing homes. Last week on RTÉ radio, the Minister for justice was asked by the presenter whether these people are not entitled to a normal family life. They are caring for our older people and we have to show we care for them. The Minister's reply was that no one is forcing them to come here. That is absolutely heartless, shows zero empathy and is also completely counterproductive because many of them are nurses. They could go to other countries, but they have come to Ireland and are working below their grades or qualifications, giving huge added value to the nursing homes. I urge the Taoiseach to have a heart. We had a briefing here a few years ago, which Deputy Michael Healy-Rae attended because he knew the value of those healthcare assistants in nursing homes. These are essential workers and they will go elsewhere.

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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Thank you, Deputy.

Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Solidarity)
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Please entitle them to have a normal family life. These mothers should not be separated from their kids.

Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, Solidarity)
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The programme for Government says the Government will move responsibility for the Multi-Unit Developments, MUD, Acts to the Department of housing from the Department of justice and establish a unit in the Housing Agency to regulate owners' management companies, OMCs, to ensure effective governance. That is important work that needs to happen. The problem is that it is not happening currently, but it has been agreed. Effectively what is holding it up is that, as a result of the Mulcreevy judgment, the primary legislation needs to be changed. At the moment, the MUD Act refers to the Minister for justice and not the Minister for housing. A simple amendment is needed to change the reference to the Minister for housing. Until that happens, all this work of regulatory oversight of OMCs and so on is simply not taking place. There was a meeting of the housing committee to discuss these issues. It invited various officials from the Department of housing and was told they could not come yet because their line Minister is not yet responsible for this.

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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Thank you, Deputy.

Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, Solidarity)
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The Housing Agency has not been allocated funding for doing any regulatory work as a result. This needs urgent action.

Liam Quaide (Cork East, Social Democrats)
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There was a health committee session last week on the regulation of counselling and psychotherapy. In standards it has published, CORU has adopted a position that is entirely at odds with the main representative groups of those disciplines, which will reduce supervision requirements and remove mandatory personal therapy for trainees. These changes, if implemented, will degrade professional standards and undermine patient safety. CORU is showing a remarkable level of intransigence on these fundamentals of safe practice. Practitioners and representative bodies have warned that the proposals could also jeopardise recognition and mobility across the EU for counsellors and psychotherapists. We must protect high-quality training, preserve public confidence and ensure regulation strengthens, not weakens, these services.

I am not expressing some fringe opinion. The health committee was unanimous in supporting the counselling and psychotherapy representative groups and the session included some strong and insightful contributions from the Taoiseach's party colleagues, including Senator Costello. Will the Government immediately pause the CORU process, bring representative bodies and practitioners into full consultation and commit to reforms that prioritise client safety and high professional standards?

Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein)
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I will talk about the regulation of quarries. The Taoiseach knows the price we have paid in this country and the price that families affected by the defective concrete blocks scandal have paid due to a lack of regulation.

Many of the homeowners I have spoken to in Mayo are not satisfied with the current regulations of quarries and in particular, that geologists are not examining the aggregate within the quarries that are being used to build homes now. I ask the Taoiseach to have a look at this area to see what can be done in that regard. It can be easily fixed by engaging and employing geologists to do the job and to make sure that people have confidence in the materials that are coming out of quarries.

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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The Taxi Regulation Act 2013 clearly gives the Minister the power to impose regulations around the activities of dispatch companies. Today, for the third time in two weeks, taxi drivers in Dublin are protesting. There is a widespread protest against this across the country by taxi drivers over the behaviour of Uber, a multimillion euro company, that is trying to undermine the livelihood of nearly 20,000 taxi drivers by introducing a fixed fare system. This will undermine the regulated fare structure and therefore the livelihoods of taxi drivers and ultimately the industry itself. In the long run, as is clear from Uber's behaviour elsewhere in the world, it will not benefit the customer. Once the company gets hold of a market, fares and charges go up and the livelihoods of taxi drivers get smashed. Will the Taoiseach ask the Minister for Transport to impose such regulations to prevent Uber destroying the industry and livelihoods of taxi drivers around this fixed fare system and enforce the taxi regulation and meter stuff?

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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Deputy McCormack raised infrastructure reform, particularly for small to medium-sized businesses. Some of the measures we have taken in respect of deferring the alignment of the minimum wage with the national living wage will help to avoid the escalation of costs because the SME sector has borne the brunt of a lot of additional costs over the past five years. There is no doubt the reduction in VAT on hospitality will help a lot of SMEs in the hospitality sector and hairdressing as well. The number of sick days leave is going to be quickly expanded. We have expanded it to three days. The cumulative cost of everything has been fairly excessive. The Small Business Forum is there to try to balance imposition on small business as well as the cost.

The other issue is the sequential approach to planning and regulations as opposed to a concurrent approach whereby instead of waiting for the planning to be done, agencies do the procurement. Instead of waiting for environmental assessments, doing them all in parallel would speed up a lot of activity. In many instances, we are constantly looking at the avoidance of increased cost for SMEs and trying to slow down the increased costs that have come their way. It is interesting the rate of youth employment has crept up in the past six to nine months. I believe that is related to costs on SMEs.

Deputy Dolan is correct that retrofitting is the most effective way to reduce costs. Between 2019 and September 2025, the Government provided over €1.5 billion in support to homeowners for over 228,000 upgrades, including 30,000 fully funded retrofits under the warmer homes scheme. It is estimated that if a deep retrofit is done, it can save a household up to €1,100 per year in energy costs. I get the Deputy's point that the administration of it needs to be faster. There is also resource demand in respect of it as well with some people not being able to afford to do retrofits because of the cost.

On Deputy Ó Murchú's issue, I do not have the specifics on Ardee Educate Together National School. I do not know what the interaction with the county council is, but in any event-----

Ruairí Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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The refusal to change-----

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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They should sort it out. A school is an important facility. The county council should be facilitative in the building of a school.

Ruairí Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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It is not just the council.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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Deputy O'Rourke raised regulation online. We have now established the regulatory framework governing online. There is ongoing review in respect of it. Children must be protected. That has to be the optimal.

Deputy Coppinger raised healthcare assistants and family reunification. We have significant reunification in Ireland under our migration system, in particular when people leave direct provision who have residency. The Minister will bring forward legislation in respect of this and these are issues we can discuss in greater detail at that stage.

On Deputy Murphy's point, I will talk to the Ministers responsible. There has to be proper regulation of management companies. There are fundamental rights involved in terms of those complexes. I will pursue that with the Minister and see where we are in terms of amendment to primary legislation.

Deputy Quaide raised the issue of counselling and psychotherapy. On qualification frameworks and regulators generally, we want more therapists, but they have to be highly qualified. Public health is number one and the protection of the consumer. In some instances, they can be quite protectionist as well. The judgment called for regulators and I would like CORU to get the judgment right in terms of not having the bar so high that there are only highly qualified, and others are not. That is not just in terms of therapy and counselling; that is in terms of teaching and a range of other issues.

Deputy Conway-Walsh raised the regulation of quarries. I will talk to the Minister involved in that. We can overregulate too but I take the Deputy's point about the quality of aggregate and quality of the product. There are existing systems to deal with that. The SEAI is there. There are various regulatory bodies to deal with the quality of materials, but I will talk to the Minister in respect of that. New bodies were set up after the defective blocks scheme.

Deputy Boyd Barrett raised taxi regulation. I will talk to the Minister about the issues that the Deputy raised. There is a balance between consumers, those availing of taxis and the regulation of same. We had regulation a long time ago; it did not work. There was always an imbalance between supply and demand. I will look at this and will talk to the Minister for Transport in respect of it. He is fully aware of it.

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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We have a delegation of students visiting from Ukraine as our part of our EPAS programme hosted by Maynooth Post Primary School. They are most welcome. We had their president here yesterday, which we enjoyed immensely.