Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 15 June 2004
137 Mr. Howlin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the name and number and commencement date of policy review groups with a public consultative process under way within her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17875/04]
View answerThe policy review groups with a public consultative process which are under way within my Department are as follows:
1. Enterprise Strategy Group
On 28 July 2003 I announced the formation of an independent enterprise strategy group to examine options that I and my Government colleagues might consider in developing medium-term enterprise polices. On 1 August 2003, I announced the membership of that group under the chairmanship of Mr. Eoin O'Driscoll. As part of its work, the group's public consultation process has already been completed.
2. Company Law Review Group
The company law review group is a standing statutory advisory body on the reform and modernisation of Irish company law. The review group reports to the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment. The review group was set up in February 2000 on foot of Government decision. The group operated on an administrative basis until it was accorded a statutory advisory status by the Company Law Enforcement Act 2001. Part 7 of that Act sets out the role and the advisory responsibilities of the review group and the basis on which its members are appointed.
The first report of the review group was the culmination of its work programme for 2000 to 2001 and was published on 28 February 2002. The report mapped out a strategy for the restructuring, consolidation, simplification and modernisation of company law in Ireland. The general scheme of the Bill to give effect to the proposals for this reform of company law is now being drafted. A second report of the review group was published in May 2004. That report elaborates on implementation of the recommendations in the first report as well as recommending changes in a number of sectoral areas such as share capital and windings up. The recommendations in the second report will be factored into the general scheme of the Bill.
For the purposes of public consultation, as each component part of the general scheme of the Bill is drawn up, it is placed on the website of the Company Law Review Group, www.clrg.org, for consideration and comment by interested parties. Comments received will inform the proposals in the general scheme of the Bill to be brought to Government for approval.
3. Consumer Strategy Group
In March 2004 I established the consumer strategy group, under chairperson Ann Fitzgerald, chief executive of the Irish Association of Investment Managers. The group has been asked to advise and make recommendations for the development of a national consumer policy strategy. Forfás provides the group's secretariat.
4. Review of the Employment Agency Act 1971
My Department published a discussion paper on the review of the Employment Agency Act 1971 in May 2004 and has requested views on this discussion paper from interested individuals and organisations by 9 July 2004.
