Legislative Process RIA

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 19 December 2013

Thursday, 19 December 2013

Questions (315)

Lucinda Creighton

Question:

315. Deputy Lucinda Creighton asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the total number of Bills that have been published by the Department since she was appointed Minister; the number and Title of those Bills that included a regulatory impact assessment in advance of publication; the regulatory impact assessments published; the total number of promised Bills for publication; if she will list the Bills that will include a regulatory impact assessment; the regulatory impact assessments that will be published before the publication of a Bill; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [55123/13]

Written answers

Minister for Children and Youth Affairs

My Department was established on the 2nd June 2011 and since then I have published the Thirty-First Amendment of the Constitution (Children) Bill 2012, the Child and Family Agency Bill 2013 and the Child Care (Amendment) Bill 2013.

A Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA) was not published in advance of publication of any of these. A RIA for the Child and Family Agency Bill 2013 was published on 4th July 2013. No RIA was conducted in respect of the other two published bills. I have also obtained Government approval for the publication of the Adoption (Amendment) Bill 2013 and a RIA has not been conducted in respect of this Bill.

My legislative commitments are set out in the Government Legislative Programme which is published by the Department of An Taoiseach and also on my Department's website. These include the Children First Bill, Children (Amendment) Bill, Adoption (Information and Tracing) Bill and the Adoption (Amendment) Bill.

In general, it is the practice in my Department not to publish a RIA until the Bill is drafted and published.