Ibec claims Government must act to tackle Ireland's 'regulatory drift' 

Business group sets out 48 measures to foster a more competitive, productive and resilient economy

Ibec's proposed measures include reducing wait times for licensing and permits and greater coordination on standards and implementation of rules.

Employer representative body Ibec has proposed a series of measures to ease the burden on businesses as it claims Ireland is suffering from 'regulatory drift'.

The 48 measures are part of a campaign which Ibec says will foster a more competitive, productive and resilient economy, and come ahead of the first meeting of the new Cost of Business Advisory Forum established by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment  made up of officials from key regulatory agencies, as well as representatives from the enterprise sector and social partners.

“The establishment of this forum is something Ibec fully supports, and it is essential that any recommendations are implemented with urgency. Regulation is a critical part of the infrastructure needed for a modern, complex economy. When done well, it benefits both businesses and consumers — but it must be proportionate and well-designed," said Ibec head of infrastructure and environmental sustainability Aidan Sweeney.

 

Last month, Ibec launched a new lobbying campaign centred around the issue of competitiveness and productivity. On Tuesday, it offered its latest proposals to Government to combat red tape for businesses.

Ibec's proposed measures include:

• reducing wait times for licensing and permits;
• greater coordination on standards and implementation of rules;
• reduced administrative burdens where their costs clearly exceed their benefits;
• ending duplication in processes when interacting with state bodies;
• greater certainty in the implementation of new regulations.

“There is a need for a fundamental change in how we design, implement and enforce regulation in Ireland. The policy drift is now evident in both business feedback and in objective measures of the way we regulate. A renewed emphasis on improving our capacity is critical as we become an increasingly complex economy,” the report said.

Ibec has called on the Government to endorse a new regulatory policy statement and to implement standard minimum lead times between passing new legislation or reporting requirements and legislation coming into force.

The Ibec paper also calls for legislation which would put administrative burdens on business subject to full economic costing. Ibec said the  Government must “undertake a look-back exercise to identify regulations that are now redundant to reduce unnecessary red tape”.

Regarding the SME test – which aims to ensure that the regulatory environment allows SMEs to operate, grow and scale-up - Ibec said the test should be extended to mid-cap companies.

"In recent years, we’ve seen drift and complacency on this issue both in Ireland and across Europe. The EU’s recent efforts to simplify the regulatory environment acknowledge this. Now is the time for Ireland to advance a better regulation and simplification agenda at home," said Mr Sweeney.