Analysis:One word sums up the reaction of business to yesterday's launch of the Business Regulation Forum's report on cutting red tape for Irish business - "implementation".
"The issue is implementation, implementation, implementation," said Seán Murphy, director of policy at Chambers Ireland. "We don't want a report to sit on a shelf. The issue is when is it going to be applied, how is it going to be applied and what is the commitment to it."
The report's chairman Donal de Buitléir was keen to stress the need for sustained political commitment to the programme.
He also said that a numerical target over a clearly defined timeframe was essential for the programme to work. The forum has recommended a five-year programme of reducing the administrative burden on business.
So, what happens next? Enterprise Minister Micheál Martin will hope to lay concerns about commitment to rest with his decision to appoint the department secretary general Seán Gorman to head up a cross-department and agency effort, working directly with business to look at ways of reducing the regulatory burden.
"The intention is to bring the regulating departments and agencies into direct contact with business representatives and the focus initially will be on those areas which seem to be causing the biggest burden of form-filling, returns, reports, statistics," said the Minister.
Even with these commitments, the question remains - will the report make any difference for Irish business? Some also question whether the report's recommendations go far enough. Mark Fielding, chief executive of the small and mediumbusiness organisation Isme, said the decision to focus on five priority areas where regulation has been identified as most burdensome in Ireland was a case of too little, too late.
A much more ambitious programme was needed, he said. "The difficulty is there is a reticence by civil servants to measure and manage," he said.
"We were looking for the standard cost model to be put right across Government, as has been done in the Netherlands and the UK and which has been successful."
In the UK, 17 government departments published simplification plans in December 2006, containing more than 500 initiatives to cut red tape and save business over £2 billion.
The measures identified following comprehensive consultation with business, public and third-sector organisations, include reforms to the Companies Act which will deliver estimated administrative savings of almost £150 million, initiatives to deliver a simpler, faster and more efficient planning system which will save £124 million, and measures to make compliance with health and safety requirements easier, saving over £300 million.
"Commencement is crucial. The UK has done it," said Mr Murphy.
