Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 2 March 2017
136. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Social Protection the legislative proposals published by his Department between 2011 and 2016, inclusive, which underwent a regulatory impact assessment; the legislative proposals published by his Department that did not undergo a regulatory impact assessment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11158/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraRegulatory Impact Analyses (RIAs) are undertaken by my Department in accordance with the relevant Department of the Taoiseach guidelines on significant legislative, policy and other changes.
A Regulatory Impact Analysis is not ordinarily undertaken on the package of tax, welfare and other measures announced in the annual Budget Day Statements. As most of the Social Welfare Bills provide for the implementation of various budgetary measures, RIAs are not considered necessary in relation to these measures. Social Welfare Bills also provide for a range of other miscellaneous and technical amendments to the social welfare code and these types of amendments are not considered amenable to the undertaking of a RIA.
Two RIAs have been published by my Department in the period 2011 to 2016. One of these RIAs relates to amendments to the funding standard applying to defined benefit pension schemes, which were provided for in Part 3 of the Social Welfare and Pensions Act 2012. This RIA is available at www.welfare.ie/en/downloads/riapension.pdf.
The other RIA relates to the measures to provide for the transposition of certain aspects of Directive 2010/41/EU on the principle of equal treatment between men and women engaged in an activity in a self-employed capacity, in so far as they relate to ensuring that the spouse or civil partner of a self-employed worker can benefit from social protection in accordance with national law. The amendments necessary to transpose these provisions were contained in section 19 of the Social Welfare and Pensions Bill Act. This RIA is available at www.welfare.ie/en/downloads/RIADirective2010-41-EU.pdf.
The Bills published by my Department since 2011 are set out in the following table.
|
Title of Bill |
Status |
RIA Undertaken |
|
Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2011 |
Enacted 29th June 2011 |
Not considered necessary |
|
Social Welfare Bill 2011 |
Enacted 19th December 2011 |
Not considered necessary |
|
Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2012 |
Enacted 1st May 2012 |
RIA undertaken on Part 3 of the Bill |
|
Social Welfare Bill 2012 |
Enacted 21st December 2012 |
Not considered necessary |
|
Civil Registration (Amendment) Bill 2012 |
Enacted 26th December 2012 |
Not considered necessary |
|
Social Welfare and Pensions (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2013 |
Enacted 28th June 2013 |
Not considered necessary |
|
Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2013 |
Enacted 9th November 2013 |
Not considered necessary |
|
Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2013 |
Enacted 25th December 2013 |
Not considered necessary |
|
Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2014 |
Enacted on 17th July 2014 |
RIA undertaken on section 16 of the Bill |
|
Civil Registration (Amendment) Bill 2014 |
Enacted on 4th December 2014 |
Not considered necessary |
|
Social Welfare Bill 2014 |
Enacted on 25th December 2014 as the Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2014 |
Not considered necessary |
|
Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2015 |
Enacted on 6th May 2015 |
Not considered necessary |
|
Gender Recognition Bill 2014 |
Enacted on 22nd July 2015 |
Not considered necessary |
|
Social Welfare Bill 2015 |
Enacted on 16th December 2015 as the Social Welfare and Pensions Act 2015 |
Not considered necessary |
|
Social Welfare Bill 2016 |
Enacted on 19th December 2016 |
Not considered necessary |
