Regulation should be last resort, not easy first choice, says IBEC

Employers' group IBEC yesterday called on the Government to speed up its efforts to reduce the burden of regulatory compliance on the business community.

IBEC's director of social policy, Mr Brendan Butler, said there was a need for a fundamental change in Government attitude towards seeing regulation as a last resort, rather than the "easy first choice".

"Business accepts that every industrialised society needs a certain amount of regulation to protect the public interest, but it is imperative for policy in this area to balance the needs of business against all the other needs and concerns of society," said Mr Butler.

IBEC proposes a four-point plan to tackle bureaucracy:

The appointment of a Government minister with responsibility for regulatory reform and a commissioner appointed at EU level.

The Central Resource Unit in the Department of the Taoiseach should produce an annual report outlining progress and provide independent assessment of new proposals for regulation, in particular of compliance costs.

It should also liaise with the EU Commission to establish best practice, said IBEC.

The establishment of an Office of Ombudsman for SMEs, similar to that in the US, to deal with complaints of bureaucratic regulations.

The introduction of "sunset" clauses - where after a given period, regulations lapse unless the Oireachtas extends them.