Joanna Tuffy (Dublin Mid West, Labour)
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414. To ask the Minister for Social Protection if she will provide an update on all regulatory impact statements carried out in respect of Bills in her Department since this Government took office; if she will list these Bills in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41600/13]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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I have initiated six Bills since taking office, all of which have been enacted. Details of these Acts are set out in the following table.

Regulatory Impact Assessments (RIAs) are not ordinarily undertaken in relation to the package of measures announced in the annual Budget Day Statements or similar packages of measures. Accordingly, a RIA was not considered necessary in the case of the Social Welfare Act 2011 and the Social Welfare Act 2012, both of which enacted social welfare measures announced in the 2012 and 2013 Budgets, respectively. A nRIA was not considered necessary in the case of the social welfare measures contained in the Social Welfare and Pensions Act 2011, the Social Welfare and Pensions Act 2012 and the Social Welfare and Pensions (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2013, as these measures either implemented budgetary decisions or made miscellaneous amendments to the social welfare code which were not considered amenable to the undertaking of a RIA.

The Social Welfare and Pensions Acts 2011 and 2012 and the Social Welfare and Pensions (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2013 also amend the provisions of the Pensions Act 1990. Part 4 of the Social Welfare and Pensions Act 2011 transposed Article 17 of Directive 2003/41/EC on the Activities and Supervision of Institutions for Occupational Retirement Provision (IORPS Directive) relating to the regulation of occupational pensions. However, as the types of pension scheme envisaged in Article 17 are not operated in Ireland, a RIA was not considered feasible in relation to these provisions.

Part 3 of the Social Welfare and Pensions Act 2012 amended the Funding Standard applying to defined benefit pension schemes. A RIA undertaken on these amendments has been published and is available at http://www.welfare.ie/EN/Policy/Legislation/Regulatory%20Impact%20Analysis/Documents/riapension.pdf. Part 4 of the Social Welfare and Pension (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2013 implemented the recommendations of the Critical Review of the Pension Board. This review, which involved a public consultation process, was carried out under the Public Service Reform plan. This review is available at http://www.welfare.ie/en/pressoffice/pdf/Report-of-the-Critical-Review-23-April-2013.pdf.

As the provisions contained in the Civil Registration (Amendment) Act 2012 to extend the list of bodies authorised to solemnise marriages were of a minor nature, an RIA was not considered necessary in the case of this Act.

Bills Initiated by Minister for Social Protection since March 2011