Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 331: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the number of staff in terms of whole-time equivalents who have been assigned by him to give effect to the commitment to assess, measure and then reduce by 25% administrative burdens imposed by his Department's regulations to business; the financial resources that have been spent on such work to date in 2008; the expected expenditure for the remainder of 2008; the budget for 2009; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45946/08]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The cost of implementing and supporting Better Regulation is difficult to quantify in terms of staff numbers or specific budgets, as these obligations fall into much of the day to day work of a number of sections within my Department. There is no separate budget line maintained by my Department for Better Regulation.

As the Deputy will be aware, my colleague, the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Mary Coughlan, TD, has the lead role in achieving the reduction of administrative burdens on business by 25% and has tasked her Department with coordinating the overall process across Government Departments.

My own Department has engaged fully with the identification, prioritisation and measurement process, an exercise which all Departments are currently undertaking. Legislation which falls under the remit of my Department has been examined to ascertain whether it contains any regulations which impose an administrative burden on business. My Department has not to date identified any areas of regulation, within our remit, which place an administrative burden on business.

We will continue to keep this under review and maintain close contact with the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment on the matter.