Lucinda Creighton (Dublin South East, Fine Gael)
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Question 400: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the statutory bodies for which he has responsibility; and the date of establishment of each of these statutory bodies. [3089/08]

Lucinda Creighton (Dublin South East, Fine Gael)
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Question 401: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the annual operating cost for each of the past five years of each statutory body for which he has responsibility; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3104/08]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 400 and 401 together.

The following table sets out the information requested by the Deputy. All "budgets" refer to the actual outturn in the year in question. However, since the bodies concerned are preparing their final accounts for 2007 at this time and, therefore, audited figures would not yet be available, I am not in a position to provide the final expenditure figures for each body for 2007 at time of answering.

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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Question 402: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of task forces currently operating in his Department; the membership and terms of reference; the name of each one; the estimate cost of the taskforce; if he will report on the progress being made by the task force; if they have made any recommendations to him; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3162/08]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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Question 403: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the taskforces established under the auspices of his Department in the past five years; the recommendations made by each taskforce; the progress being made in implementing these recommendations; if specific recommendations have been rejected; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3177/08]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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Question 404: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the taskforces established under the auspices of his Department in the past five years; the cost of these taskforces in terms of administrative support, expenses, research and so on; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3192/08]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 402 to 404, inclusive, together.

Although no specific taskforces were established in my Department in the last five years, details relating to groups which might be considered taskforces and which were established under the auspices of my Department, are set out below:

2003

Name of Group

The Enterprise Strategy Group

The Enterprise Strategy Group published their report "Ahead of the Curve — Ireland's Place in the Global Economy" in 2004. The membership of the group, which was established in 2003, together with their terms of reference are set out below. The group made more than 50 recommendations directed at a wide range of Departments and agencies. During the period of the Enterprise Strategy Group study, which ran from July 2003 to July 2004, administrative support was provided by Forfás from within its normal allocation. No additional funding was sought or required for this task. The members of the group gave their time pro bono. The recommendations of the group were considered by Government and it was agreed to fully implement 70% of the 51 recommendations made in the ESG report, and deliver partial or modified implementation in all except 2 recommendations. It was decided on the basis of international experience not to proceed with the recommendation to "replace the existing regulators for networked sectors with a new regulatory body covering all networked sectors" and in addition, a recommendation on the introduction of carbon tax was not adopted.

Membership and Terms of Reference:

Terms of Reference:

The Group will develop a medium term enterprise strategy and propose and prioritise national policy responses. The aims of the Group's work are:

to strengthen the competitiveness of Ireland's enterprise environment

to promote the emergence of an innovation and knowledge driven economy

to sustain those industries already providing employment

to underpin the industries of the future where Ireland is or can become a substantial player

to encourage business start-ups and companies with potential for growth, and

to examine the scope for increasing the value of sectors to the Irish economy as a whole

The Group will take account of long term international trends, in globalisation, EU enlargement, technology and regulation, as well as in the structure of industries and markets. It will recognise Ireland's increased prosperity and changing cost and competitiveness base, while taking account of trends in demography, of the regulatory environment, and of our physical, R&D and technological infrastructures. Against this background, the Group will produce a strategy based on a vision which recognises the desirability of appropriate balance:

between Business sectors in the economy

between foreign and domestic enterprise ownership

between regions as set out in the National Spatial Strategy

and between types of economic activity, such as research, manufacturing and commercial services.

The recommendations of this group were considered by Government and an Action Plan with 37 action points was approved in 2005. By November 2007 the points in the Action Plan had been implemented or were on target for implementation. This taskforce itself is no longer operating.

2004

Name of Group

Consumer Strategy Group

Membership and Terms of Reference:

Ms Ann Fitzgerald, Chairperson, Members: Ms Rosheen Callender, Mr Stephen Costello, Mr Colin Hunt, Mr Dermot Jewell, Ms Orna Ni Chionna, Mr Simon Nugent, Mr John O'Sullivan, Ms Aileen O'Toole, Mr Alex Schuster, Dr Edward Shinnick.

The Consumer Strategy Group (CSG) was established in March 2004 with a remit to advise and make recommendations for the development of a national consumer policy strategy. The Group published its report in May 2005. The report contained 33 separate recommendations directed at a number of Government Departments. A full list of the Group's recommendations can be downloaded from the Department's website at: http://www.entemp.ie/publications/ commerce/2005/consumerstrategy.pdf. The Taskforce is no longer operating. A High Level Interdepartmental Committee established to consider the implementation of the CSG recommendations endorsed all but one of those recommendations. The majority of the CSG's recommendations directed at this Department have been implemented. The implementation of those recommendations directed at other Departments are matters for the Departments concerned. The secretariat of the CSG was provided by Forfas. A total of €195,000 was given to Forfas in 2005 in relation to the preparation of the CSG's report. The cost of providing the secretarial support to the CSG was met from within Forfas' budget.

2004

Name of Group

Name of Taskforce

Expert Advisory Group on Workplace Bullying set up in 2004

Membership and Terms of Reference:

Terms of Reference:

To advise and report on the

effectiveness of measures relating to the prevention of workplace bullying,

the identification of improvements in procedures, and

how to address the contribution made by bullying to the incidence of workplace stress

The Expert Group reported in 2005. The main thrust of the recommendations were implemented in a code of practice for Employers and Employees on the Prevention and Resolution of Bullying at Work under the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act, 2005. None recommendations were rejected. The Taskforce itself is no longer operating. The cost of Taskforce was €9,198.00.

2005

Name of Group

Small Business Forum

Membership and Terms of Reference:

Secretariat to the Forum was provided by Forfás.

Terms of Reference of the Small Business Forum:

The terms of reference of the Small Business Forum were as follows:

The over-arching task of the Forum is to consider in broad terms the current environment for conducting small business in Ireland and to advise on the adequacy and appropriateness of the public policy responses in the context of that environment, including the interventions by the enterprise development agencies. The Forum should consider whether there are new or revised strategies that would be beneficial in assisting small business to contribute to the growth of the economy. Any proposals for such new or revised strategies should be complementary to, and be consistent with, the revised enterprise strategy adopted by the Government in response to the Enterprise Strategy Group report. In particular, the Forum should:

Consider whether the strategies being followed to support and develop the spirit of entrepreneurship in Ireland are effective and appropriate;

Consider how the pattern of growth of small businesses in Ireland compares internationally and seek to identify the particular characteristics that tend to lead to the growth of small businesses or inhibit such growth;

Review the existing environment for accessing finance by small businesses at each stage of development;

Review the propensity of the small business sector to conduct research and development and to innovate and to consider the capacity of the sector to access the programmes aimed at the promotion of such activities; and

In the light of the foregoing, consider what additional or revised actions could be taken to help more small enterprises grow their businesses in a manner that contributes to the overall growth of the Irish economy.

In conducting this review, the Forum should take account of the relevant priorities for action set out in the revised Lisbon Agenda, including the actions contained in the European Charter for Small Enterprises. The Small Business Forum published its Report in May 2006, which is available at the following website link: http://www.forfas.ie/publications/2006index.htm. Considerable progress has been made on the Implementation of the SBF Report's Recommendations. A copy of the Third Progress Report of 10 December 2007 on the implementation of the SBF Recommendations, is available at the following website link: http://www.entemp.ie/ publications/enterprise/2007/THIRDPROGRESSREPORT(FINALVersionof10December2007). pdf

The Taskforce is still operating in the form of an Implementation Group, which meets with the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment twice yearly, to discuss progress on the implementation of the recommendations. The costs of the work of the Small Business Forum are being met from Forfas' agreed annual Budget allocation.

2007

Name of Group

Employment Appeals Tribunal Revision of Procedures Group 2007

Membership and Terms of Reference:

Secretariat provided by DETE, Ms Anne-Marie Finlay and Ms Aisling O'Reilly

Terms of Reference of Working Group:

To make recommendations to the Minister for Labour Affairs to update the procedures of the Employment Appeals Tribunal.

The Group met on 8 occasions between February and May 2007 and made a number of recommendations to the Minister for Labour Affairs in May 2007. The final report is published on the www.entemp.ie website. None of the recommendations were rejected. The report's recommendations are under consideration in the context of drafting of Employment Law Compliance Bill. The Taskforce itself is no longer operating. The cost of Taskforce was € 8055.22 expenses, plus administrative support from my Department.

2005-2007

Name of Group

Business Regulation Forum (BRF)

Membership and Terms of Reference:

Dr Donal De Buitléir, Chairman, Diarmuid Bradley, Andy Cullen, Marie Daly, Pat Delaney, Gearóid Doyle, Pat Farrell, Mark Fielding, Pat Nolan replaced by Eugene Forde, Dr Eoin Gahan, Maurice Healy, Trevor Holmes, Andrew McDowell replaced by Declan Hughes, Dermot Jewell, Philip Kelly, Professor Irene Lynch Fannon, Eamonn Molloy, Ronald Long replaced by Breda Power, Senator Fergal Quinn, Imelda Reynolds, Miriam Ryan, Dr John Thompson

Terms of Reference:

To advise the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment on any changes necessary to ensure that existing or proposed regulations, impacting on business, meet the criteria set out in the White Paper "Better Regulation". The Forum may focus on general administrative procedures and sector, or product, specific obligations. The BRF published its report in April 2007. It made one recommendation. The BRF ceased to exist in February 2007; the High Level Group on Business Regulation was set up in July 2007 to carry the work forward. The cost was €221,437.