Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael)
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Question 175: To ask the Taoiseach if he intends, as part of the better regulation process, to introduce legislation along the lines of the United Kingdom's Regulatory Reform Act 2001 to enable provision to be made for the purpose of reforming all legislation that has the effect of imposing burdens affecting persons in the carrying out of any activity; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4990/05]

Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)
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In 2004, the Government published the White Paper, "Regulating Better", which commits to six principles of better regulation and outlines an action programme to implement these principles. As I stated in answer to Parliamentary Questions Nos. 10 to 15, inclusive, on 16 November 2004, a better regulation group of senior officials has been established to oversee implementation of the White Paper and to promote better quality regulation across the public service.

The White Paper does not provide for the enactment of legislation along the lines of the United Kingdom's Regulatory Reform Act. However, the White Paper sets out the actions that should be taken with respect to statute law reform and the burdens imposed by regulation. A key element is the Government's initiative to update pre-1922 legislation, which saw the publication last November of the Statute Law Revision Bill. This Bill provides for the repeal of 91 Acts dating from before the foundation of the State. These Acts will be removed as they have been identified as unnecessary. As well as the repeal of legislation, the White Paper provides for the greater use of statute law revision tools such as amendment of existing legislation, consolidation of existing legislation into one Act and restatement of legislation in a more modern form.

Under the 2002 Statute Law (Restatement) Act, four restatements have been certified to date by the Attorney General and laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas. These include the Sale of Goods Acts, the Defence Acts, the Tourist Traffic Acts and the Succession Act. Several significant consolidation projects are also under way, including conveyancing, consumer legislation, companies legislation and liquor licensing legislation. These are several examples of the regulatory reform measures under way in the Civil Service. Collectively, the Government's activity in this area will help to improve the accessibility of the Statute Book, reduce the burden of transaction costs on citizens and businesses and improve the efficiency of the public service.