I propose to take Questions Nos. 2 and 3 together.
Regulatory reform is one of the themes of the "SMI/Delivering Better Government" modernisation programme. The regulatory reform agenda is an important one and its original focus on reducing red tape has been broadened to include issues such as improving competitiveness and reducing the burden of compliance on businesses and citizens. These issues are priorities for the Government and ones in which my colleagues, in particular the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment and the Minister for Public Enterprise, take an interest and responsibility.
Steady progress has been made on the action programme, Reducing Red Tape. As regards accessibility, the Statute Book has been made available in electronic format. As part of their e-public service strategies, Departments and offices will increasingly use web-based technologies to publish regulations, application forms and explanatory information. As regards quality versus quantity, Departments and offices are required under amended Cabinet procedures to use a quality regulation checklist for each new legislative proposal. As regards simplification, the new statute law revision unit in the Attorney General's office is preparing for a comprehensive programme of restatement which it is expected will commence later this year subject to the enactment of the Statute Law (Restatement) Bill. As regards elimination of unnecessary regulation, Departments and offices have been asked to examine their primary and secondary legislation frameworks to identify scope for revision, repeal and consolidation. This will form the basis of a prioritised work programme which is being finalised by the statute law revision unit in the Attorney General's office. A dedicated regulatory reform unit has been set up in my Department to co-ordinate the delivery of the regulatory reform agenda.
Over the past year the major project in the regulatory reform area has been Ireland's participation in an OECD review of regulatory reform in Ireland. I understand this review is at its final stages and the OECD will formally present the report to me, the Tánaiste, and the Minister for Public Enterprise, on 24 April, 2001. The Government sought to have this review conducted in order to identify areas which might be addressed in an Irish context, with a view to empowering the citizen as consumer and removing regulatory barriers to increased competitiveness.
On the Deputy's question regarding progress made by the statute law revision unit, this unit was established in February, 1999. It is staffed by a director and a parliamentary counsel, with appropriate clerical support staff. The unit has been involved in a number of activities including: drafting legislation, notably the Stamp Duties (Consolidation) Act, 2000, the Industrial Design Act, 2000, and the Copyright and Related Rights Act, 2000. It has been involved in formulating a policy on statute law consolidation and revision.
The unit recommended the enactment of the Statute Law (Restatement) Bill, which when enacted, will enable the Attorney General, in consultation with Departments and offices, to publish administrative consolidations of Acts. Consideration by the unit is at an advanced stage on a policy in respect of the modernisation of the consolidation procedures used by the Houses of the Oireachtas.
As regards the Acts and statutory instruments which could be most usefully revised and consolidated, the unit has worked closely with my Department to identify a prioritised programme for such work. The Acts and statutory instruments selected for consolidation and revision on the basis of objective criteria will have regard to political priorities and the need for greater coherence of the Statute Book. A number of restatement projects are at an advanced stage and will be published soon after the enactment of the Statute Law (Restatement) Bill. The unit is also actively involved in arrangements for updating the Statute Book on CD-ROM and on the web.