Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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Question 357: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the occasions on which she did not carry out any form of regulatory impact analysis on statutory instruments, Bills and EU directives for 2008 since June 2008; the reason in each case for that decision; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46073/08]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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Question 358: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the occasions on which her Department carried out a screening regulatory impact analysis on statutory instruments, Bills and EU directives since June 2008; if, in each instance, the decision was taken to carry out a full regulatory impact analysis subsequent to the screening regulatory impact analysis; if no such decision was taken, the reason in each case that no full regulatory impact analysis was carried out; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46088/08]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 357 and 358 together.

The Department has not conducted a regulatory impact analysis since June 2008. There has only been one bill produced by the Department during the period. Given the time constraints involved, the Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008, which implemented PRSI and other changes to social welfare legislation arising from the Budget, was not subject to a regulatory impact analysis. However, the Department undertakes significant ex-ante analysis of these measures.

In relation to secondary legislation, the RIA guidelines state that only significant statutory instruments are subject to RIA. In this regard, given that these are largely technical in nature, the Department has not conducted a regulatory impact analysis on a statutory instrument over the period.