Dan Neville (Limerick West, Fine Gael)
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Question 118: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance if he has decided on a benchmark against which the Government's promise to cut business compliance costs by 25% can be judged. [2146/08]

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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This is a matter in the first instance for my colleague the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment. I do not have a deciding function in relation to setting the sort of benchmark referred to.

My colleague, however, has established a High-level Group on Business Regulation, chaired by the Secretary General of his Department and comprising a wide membership from business, ICTU, Government Departments and Agencies. The Group's work of examining the regulatory environment for business is underway and the Group is scheduled to report in July 2008.

As the Deputy may be aware, the 2007 Spring European Council invited Member States to set a target for the reduction of administrative burdens on business arising from national legislation. My colleague, the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, is currently considering this issue to enable a response to be made to the European Council.