Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 115: To ask the Taoiseach 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. [40356/10]

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The Department of the Taoiseach is represented on the Interdepartmental Group on Administrative Burden Reduction. e Central Statistics Office (CSO) is represented separately on the Group. The Department itself has no legislation that impacts on business. As the CSO has legislation that impacts on business, they are fully engaged in the burden reduction programme.

It should be acknowledged that the compilation of business statistics is absolutely necessary. Therefore, while it is essential to minimise burdens, it is neither possible nor desirable to completely eliminate burdens of this kind. In this context, the CSO published a ranked list of 20 information obligations in the Standard Cost Model Report - Measurement of administrative burden imposed on Irish business by Central Statistics Office inquiries. This report was published in August 2010 and is available on the CSO website. The report estimates that the total cost of the burden to businesses arising from CSO activity for 2008 (the most recent year available) was €10.8 million using the standard cost model (which assumes full compliance). The CSO also publishes an annual statement on total burden to business arising from CSO activity. These reports are available on the CSO website.