asked the Taoiseach if he is conducting an audit of paperwork requirements imposed by his Department, or by agencies under his aegis, on business; if so, when the audit commenced; the named officer, if any, in charge of the audit; if any report thereon has yet been presented to the Minister for Industry and Commerce; if so, the contents thereof; if any practices or regulations have yet been altered as a result of the audit; if so, the details thereof; if he has prepared any report on the compliance costs to industry of legislation being prepared by his Department; the way in which these reports compare in content, scope or purpose with reports on this subject already required by decisions of the previous Government; and if he will outline the subjects being covered by the audit now being conducted in his Department.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Audit of Paperwork Requirements.
There are no paperwork requirements imposed on business by the Department of the Taoiseach.
The requirements imposed on business by the Central Statistics Office relate to the completion of statistical returns. These returns are used to produce the statistical indicators needed to satisfy the requirements of effective Irish Government policy-making both in the domestic and EC contexts. The content of forms is kept continually under review. The continuing need for the various inquiries, their frequency and the implications for statistical developments arising from the Single European Act are being assessed as part of the work of the National Statistics Board. A senior official, a statistician, has been appointed in the Central Statistics Office as the named officer for the programme.
Is fíorbheag an t-ualach breise oibre a chuireann riachtanais Údarás na Gaeltachta agus Bhord na Gaeilge ar ghnóthaí príobháideacha agus táthar sásta nach ceart na riachtanais sin a laghdú. Ní lorgaíonn Roinn na Gaeltachta eolas den chineáal atá i gceist ó ghnóthaí.
Is the Taoiseach aware that the Minister for Industry and Commerce publicly announced that an audit of paperwork requirements was being undertaken in all Government Departments, and can he indicate when the audit in the Central Statistics Office and in Údarás na Gaeltachta will be completed?
The Central Statistics Office have been engaged for some time on major pruning of its documentation and methods of operation. That is on-going. Údarás na Gaeltachta does not interfere to any undue extent in any of the businesses for which they have responsibility.
Can I take it that in the case of the CSO an audit will be carried out in accordance with the announcement made very publicly at the CII dinner by the Minister for Industry and Commerce or is the Taoiseach saying that what the CSO are already doing in the matter is perfectly satisfactory and that therefore the announcement of the Minister for Industry and Commerce does not apply to the CSO?
The principle applies to everybody but the CSO as the Deputy is aware is a very separate, distinct and highly specialised agency. They are in the best position to constantly prove their own methods and systems.
Will they report to the Minister for Industry and Commerce in regard to the audit, as the Minister for Industry and Commerce very specifically and publicly announced at the CII lunch and, if not, has the Taoiseach exempted the Central Statistics Office from this audit, or is it the case that the Minister for Industry and Commerce was just making a speech for the optics from which nothing will actually flow?
The Deputy is being unnecessarily tendentious about a perfectly innocent and straightforward matter.
If the Taoiseach was not so evasive in his replies, there would be no necessity for me to be tendentious in my remarks.