Minister Martin launches Report of the Business Regulation Forum

Minister Martin to lead new drive to cut business ‘red tape’.

Minister for Enterprise Trade and Employment, Micheál Martin TD, today (25^th April 2007) announced a new drive to tackle ‘red tape’ – the unnecessary costs on business of filling out forms and making returns to comply with Government regulations.

Making the announcement, Minister Martin said: “By international standards we are certainly not an over-regulated economy, ranking in or around the ‘top ten’ in international surveys which look at our attractiveness as a location for doing business. A recent ESRI survey found that over half of firms in Ireland believe that we have got the balance right.

But, the Minister said, it is all about remaining competitive. A number of our competitors in Europe are engaged in exercises to reduce the ‘red tape’ burden and we simply have to do likewise.

The Business Regulation Forum’s Report, which I am launching today, estimates that Government regulations could be costing business up to €500 million each year that could be avoided.

The Forum, based on national and international research, believes the priority areas to be tackled are: Taxation returns, Health and Safety requirements, Statistical requirements, Environmental legislation, Employment and Company law.

The Government has tasked me with leading a Government-wide effort to drive this agenda. I have asked Secretary-General Sean Gorman to head up a cross-Department and Agency effort, working directly with business, to look at ways of reducing the regulatory burden. The intention is to bring the regulating Departments and Agencies into direct contact with business representatives and the focus initially will be on those areas which seem to be causing the biggest burden of form-filling, returns, reports, statistics etc.

Minister Martin thanked the Forum’s Chairman, Dr Donal de Buitléir, AIB, and its members for their research and recommendations which would be the basis for taking this work forward, focussing on the priorities identified, and he looked forward to some early results.

ENDS/ETE1737

Media Contacts:

Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment - Press Office, Tel: 01 6312200

Forfas - Press Office, Tel: 01 6073000