Emer Currie (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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35. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment for the latest update on the commitment to undertake a look-back exercise to identify regulations that are now redundant, to reduce unnecessary red tape and the cost of doing business; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33162/25]

Shay Brennan (Dublin Rathdown, Fianna Fail)
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71. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if his Department is undertaking a look-back exercise to identify business regulations that are now redundant to reduce unnecessary red tape; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33046/25]

Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 35 and 71 together.

The Programme for Government is clear in setting out the importance of SMEs to our economy. Developing Ireland's enterprise base remains a key priority, and we will strive to reduce costs, administrative burdens and bureaucracy for businesses.

Ireland is internationally well-regarded in terms of regulatory burden. The 2025 Annual Single Market and Competitiveness Report from the European Commission ranked Ireland 4th in terms of Ease of Regulatory Compliance in the EU. Ireland’s strong competitive position is reflected in our exceptionally strong economic performance in recent years. However, the international context is rapidly changing, and we recognise that many businesses, whether indigenous or FDI, are facing increased challenges.

While Ireland benefits from a skilled workforce and success in attracting high-value FDI, challenges remain, notably in infrastructure capacity and the high cost of doing business compared to competitor nations.

In response to international economic developments, and in line with a commitment in the Programme for Government, work is underway on the development of an Action Plan on Competitiveness and Productivity. Indeed, the Government agreed to accelerate the timeframe for this work and the Action Plan will be presented for consideration at a Competitiveness Summit to be held in July.

The Action Plan will reflect a whole-of-Government approach to domestic drivers of – or barriers to – competitiveness, focusing on areas firmly within our own control. Its development has been informed by extensive consultation across Government Departments and with external stakeholders. My Department has also launched a public consultation which is currently open.

The Action Plan will also be guided by the forthcoming Ireland's Competitiveness Challenge 2025 report from the National Competitiveness and Productivity Council. The overarching objective of the Action Plan is to maintain and improve Ireland's position as a competitive and productive economy and one that is resilient in the face of external shocks. The Action Plan will, therefore, contain a set of actionable recommendations with clearly defined implementation timelines.

I have established the Cost of Business Advisory Forum, which convened on 11th June 2025. The Chair (Mr. Kevin Foley) and Vice Chair (Mr Ronan Byrne) were welcomed to facilitate the Forum. The Terms of Reference were adopted, and a discussion was undertaken with regard the thematic workplan.

The Forum was established to deliver on the Programme for Government 2025 (under the theme of ‘Supporting Small Business, Hospitality and Retail’) and is a sub-group of the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment’s Enterprise Forum.

The Forum presents a unique opportunity for tripartite engagement, where Government Departments, Regulatory Bodies, and other State Agencies will hear directly from business owners and representatives. As this engagement progresses, the Chair and Vice-Chair will endeavour to facilitate all stakeholders to participate effectively.

The Forum’s purpose is to examine the factors contributing to rising business costs in Ireland, including regulatory and infrastructural challenges that may require a sharper focus or a revised approach. It will also identify practical steps to help reduce these costs.

Over the coming six months, the Forum will meet regularly to discuss key themes concerning businesses which include:

• Regulatory Cost and Simplification
• Planning and Infrastructure
• Technology and Innovation
• Compliance Measures
• Visas and Work Permits
• Utility Costs

• We are updating the Companies Act through the Companies (Corporate Governance, Enforcement and Regulatory Provisions) Act 2024 with a range of practical reforms consistent with ensuring Ireland’s regulatory framework provides flexibility and is fit for modern business operating in an increasingly digital and virtual environment. This includes provisions for virtual AGMs and amending the SME audit exemption to provide for a graduated regime to deal with late filing by small / micro companies.
• The Co-operative Societies Bill provides for the most far-reaching reform of the legislation governing co-operatives in the history of the State. The Bill introduces a modern legal framework which will place the co-operative model on a more favourable and clearer legal basis and encourage the consideration of the co-operative model as an attractive formation option for entrepreneurs and also for social and community activities.
• Implementation of the revision of the monetary thresholds in the Accounting Directive which will reduce the regulatory/administrative burden related to corporate reporting for over 3,000 companies.
• The Small Companies Administrative Rescue Process (SCARP) is now in place, offering a quicker, more affordable restructuring option for viable small businesses in difficulty.
• 95% of filings with the Companies Registration Office are now online.
• Significant progress has also been made in recent years in improving the employment permits processing system to ensure the service is responsive to business needs and prevailing economic conditions. Processing times have dropped from 22 weeks in 2022 to just 1–2 weeks today.
• The new Employment Permits Application and Processing System, which was launched in May 2025, will provide a more user-friendly interface. This is the first phase of a process to improve the permits system providing additional stability and security with further technological developments planned to improve the IT system experience.
• The statutory sick leave roadmap was also reviewed earlier this year and agreed by Government to hold at 5 days.
• A systematic application of the SME Test which has been designed to invite consideration of less stringent compliance requirements for smaller companies, where appropriate and proportionate. In 2024 alone, 26 SME Tests were conducted across 8 Government Departments—10 of these by the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment. This is a significant increase from just 8 tests in 2023. Offices and Agencies of the Department have now been requested to apply the SME Test when developing new initiatives or offerings.
• My Department has simplified access to grants and support programmes through the National Enterprise Hub (NEH). The Hub has over 250 different supports for businesses from 30 Departments and agencies. The NEH is staffed by a team of expert advisers who are on hand to offer advice directly to businesses. Since launching last year, the Hub has dealt with almost 6,000 enquires.