Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 10 February 2026
489. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment the number of regulations his Department plans to reduce, streamline or repeal in order to improve competitiveness; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9632/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThis Government believes that a proactive, whole-of-Government response, is fundamental to driving improvements to Ireland’s international competitiveness. In response to international economic developments and in line with commitments in the Programme for Government, the Government advanced the preparation of an Action Plan on Competitiveness and Productivity, which was published in September 2025. The overarching objective of the Action Plan is to maintain and improve Ireland’s position as a competitive and productive economy capable of withstanding shocks, building on our strengths, supporting indigenous enterprise and continuing to attract investment and talent from abroad.
The Action Plan reflects a whole-of-government approach to the domestic drivers of competitiveness and contains 85 actions across six thematic areas. Of particular relevance to the Deputy’s question is Theme 4, “Regulating for Growth and Controlling Costs”, which focuses on coordinated regulatory reform and on reducing unnecessary burdens on enterprise, particularly SMEs. Accountability, monitoring and oversight are central to the delivery of the Plan. Each of the 85 actions is assigned a specific owner and a timeline for implementation. Just under half of the actions are due for delivery in 2026, with the remainder either delivered in 2025 or scheduled for implementation between 2027 and 2030.
Rather than setting an arbitrary numerical target for repealing regulations, the Government’s approach is to deliver systematic, targeted regulatory reform through a number of key initiatives, including:
• The establishment of a central Economic Regulators Forum to improve coordination and consistency across regulators;
• The introduction of a cross-Government Red Tape Challenge to identify and remove or simplify regulatory requirements that impose disproportionate costs on SMEs;
• Continued application of the SME Test to ensure new measures are designed in line with the “think small first” principle; and
• The implementation of legal cost reforms, including the recommendations of the Review of the Administration of Civil Justice and the drafting of a Civil Justice Reform Bill.
These actions are scheduled for delivery over the coming two to three years. The application of the SME test will continue on an ongoing basis. The SME Test is an important tool in ensuring that the impacts of new measures on small businesses are considered and mitigated where appropriate. In 2025, 33 SME Tests were applied by 10 Government Departments, compared with 26 SME Tests applied by 8 Departments in 2024. Since the establishment of the reporting framework in 2021, a total of 81 SME Tests have been applied across 14 Government Departments. Each Department is also expected to publish SME Tests on its website, ensuring transparency and accessibility. To support implementation of the SME Test, officials from my Department have delivered information sessions to several Government Departments.
In addition, my Department has established a Cost of Business Advisory Forum, which brings together enterprise representatives, Government and State agencies to identify regulatory and infrastructural issues that contribute to higher business costs. The Forum has examined energy, insurance, planning and water services to date and will consider regulation, reporting and compliance in early 2026. Its final report is due to be submitted to Government in Q1 2026.
Given that many regulatory measures arise from EU obligations and from the responsibilities of multiple Departments and independent regulators, it is not possible at this point to specify a precise number of regulations that will be repealed or streamlined. However, the Red Tape Challenge and the actions under Theme 4 of the Action Plan are explicitly aimed at delivering measurable reductions in regulatory burden, particularly for SMEs.
Progress on these actions will be monitored through regular reporting to Government, and the first implementation report on the Action Plan will be considered at the Government’s Competitiveness Summit in 2026.
Finally, as part of the Government’s commitment to deepening the EU Single Market, my Department is working to promote the implementation of the European Commission’s Single Market Strategy, which aims to lower barriers to cross-border trade in goods and services and ensure consistent application of Single Market rules. This is closely aligned with Ireland’s competitiveness objectives, given the reach of EU regulation and the combined impact of domestic and EU-level rules on Irish enterprises and consumers.
