Irish Business Regulation Forum Inviting Comments

by Jason Gorringe, for LawAndTax-News.com, London

27 April 2006

Ireland's Business Regulation Forum, established by Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Micheál Martin in November 2005 to examine regulatory issues as they impact on business and competitiveness, is now inviting views, comments or submissions from individual consumers, companies, organisations and interest groups concerning which regulations they feel could be improved upon.

Comments and evidence on what areas of regulation impose the largest avoidable and unnecessary burden on business, including the extent of regulation, the burden it imposes on business, and the effects of that burden, are being sought.

“The impact of regulation on business can be significant. Hundreds of regulations impact on all our business lives every day, from health and safety legislation to tax obligations”, Minister Martin explained, continuing:

“Most of these are necessary to allow society to run smoothly and to sustain the high standards we now expect. However, it may be that some of them have evolved in such a way as to have become difficult to comply with or hard to understand, I would therefore encourage everyone including members of the public to become actively involved in the submission process.”

“The forum is not seeking to reduce regulation per se. It is very clear that regulations, for the most part, exist for good reasons. The benefits of regulation can include: protecting consumers, preventing the abuse of monopoly power; encouraging optimal resource allocation by improving the functioning of markets; and maintaining standards, such as Health and Safety."

"The Business Regulation Forum will examine if the same benefits could be achieved in a more efficient and effective manner," the Minister added.

The deadline for submissions is Friday 26th May, 2006.

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