Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 10 February 2026
495. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment his position on the creation of a Vice-President for simplification at the EU level; if he plans to commit to a single methodology to quantify the cumulative cost of new regulation on Irish businesses, as per the Draghi report on EU Competitiveness; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10065/26]
View answerThere is a strong focus on simplification at EU level with a view to improving EU competitiveness and ensuring there aren’t disproportionate burdens on business. The Mission letters from President Von der Leyen to each Commissioner have effectively mainstreamed the simplification and better regulation agenda, with all Commissioners tasked with reducing administrative burdens and reviewing the legislation within their remit.
The reform agenda is being strongly driven by EU leaders with the European Council calling for a “simplification revolution” by ensuring a clear, simple and smart regulatory framework for businesses and reducing administrative, regulatory and reporting burdens, in particular for SMEs. To date, the European Commission has published 10 simplification Omnibus packages, across a range of policy areas, with further proposals expected in 2026.
At a national level, the Action Plan on Competitiveness and Productivity, a commitment in the Programme for Government, is a whole-of-government strategic response to the challenges that Ireland is facing. A key focus of the Action Plan is improving Ireland’s regulatory environment under the theme “Regulating for Growth and Controlling Costs.”
Measures under this theme include introducing a ‘Red Tape Challenge’ across Government to reduce regulation for SMEs, a public consultation to identify areas of high burden, and all Government Departments to apply the SME test to all measures, in particular to policy initiatives where it is proposed to increase costs on small business.
In terms of my own Department, there is an ongoing commitment to ensuring that the regulatory environment is proportionate and fit for purpose. This includes the conduct of Regulatory Impact Analysis and the 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.
