Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 411: To ask the Minister for Social Protection if his Department was required to take part in the interdepartmental group on administrative burden reduction; if his Department has yet listed information obligations that his Department's regulations impose on business; if so, the number of information obligations listed; if his Department has yet assessed which requirements are the most burdensome; if his Department has measured the actual cost to business of the most burdensome requirements and if so, the total cost. [40355/10]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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My Department has been involved in the Inter-Departmental Group on Administrative Burden Reduction. The information obligations (IOs) which this Department's legislation/regulations impose on business have been examined and listed with a view to reducing, where possible, the administrative burden on business. Nine IOs have been identified for this Department, of which two overlap with the Office of the Revenue Commissioners.

The measurement of administrative burdens using the Standard Cost Model is an exercise that was called for by business as a baseline for the 25% administrative burden reduction programme and is being carried out across all Departments with any substantive regulation that affects business. The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Innovation and the Central Statistics Office have already measured burdens arising from regulations under their responsibility and all other relevant Departments will shortly measure the current red tape costs on business arising from their regulation. Measurement is expected to be completed in 2011. It will not be possible to indicate the total cost of the information obligations for this Department on business until this measurement exercise has been carried out.