Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 2 Mar 1999

Vol. 501 No. 3

Written Answers. - Regulatory Reform.

John Perry

Question:

115 Mr. Perry asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment when she will introduce codes of practice by Government Departments to alleviate the compliance burden; if all proposals for legislation will be assessed to minimise any compliance burden being created for small business; the plans, if any, she has for the removal of statutory audit requirement on private limited companies and co-operatives with an annual turnover of less then £100,000; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6005/99]

Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment (Ms Harney)

The commitment in Partnership 2000 to introduce a national strategy of administrative simplification to ease compliance burdens is being progressed through the strategic management initiative. A working group on regulatory reform prepared a report setting out the essentials of such a strategy. The Department of the Taoiseach, in co-operation with my Department, has formulated proposals regarding implmentation of this strategy. The Department of the Taoiseach circulated a draft memorandum containing these proposals to other Departments recently and it is expected that the Taoiseach will bring the proposals to Government shortly.

A Companies (Amendment) Bill, to be published shortly, will, inter alia, provide for the exemption of small companies with an annual turnover of less than £100,000 from the need to have their accounts audited each year. It is also my intention to remove the statutory audit requirement on co-operatives with an annual turnover of less than £100,000 in the forthcoming Industrial and Provident Societies (Amendment) Bill.