Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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Question 424: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food 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. [45937/08]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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The question of the reduction of the administrative burden on Department clients has been pursued at EU level. In line with the Health Check review of the Common Agriculture Policy, the Council and Commission of the EU have declared that they will continue with the objective of obtaining further simplification at both farmer and administrative levels of the cross- compliance requirements.

In March of this year, the Government decided to reduce the administrative burden of domestic regulation on business by 25% by 2012. The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment is responsible for devising the approach and methodology to be used across Government, for coordinating this work across Government Departments and agencies and for reporting to Government on progress.

At present, my Department is in the process of screening information obligations. When completed, an exercise in prioritising these information obligations will be undertaken in conjunction with the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment and during 2009, measurements of these prioritized obligations will be undertaken. Pending consultation with the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, no decision has been taken in regard to funding, if any, required in 2009.

No staff have been assigned exclusively to this task. The work is being undertaken in addition to ongoing reviews to streamline and simplify the business processes of the Department with a view to easing the administrative burden for both our clients and the Department itself.