The document outlines plans to create an Integrated Licensing Application System in Ireland. It aims to streamline the licensing process for businesses by allowing them to apply for multiple licenses through a single online portal. This is expected to save businesses time and simplify regulatory compliance. A pilot program will launch the system for retail sector licenses handled by 40 licensing authorities. If successful, it could be expanded to other sectors and licenses. The goals are to improve ease of doing business, boost competitiveness, and support job creation goals by reducing licensing burdens on enterprises.
3. Action Plan for Jobs
• The Action Plan for Jobs (APJ) is an important initiative which was
launched in February 2012 by the Government of Ireland.
• It is a comprehensive and dedicated Action Plan for Jobs strategy to help
reach our primary objective: getting Ireland back to work.
• To create the environment where the number of people at work will
increase by 100,000, from 1.85 million to 1.95 million, by 2016, and reach
2.1 million people by 2020.
• To become the best small country in which to do business.
• To get back to a top-5 ranking in international competitiveness
• To build world-class clusters in key sectors of opportunity
• To build up the export market share of Irish companies
4. Review and Audit of Licences Study
• Reviewed 159 licences and processes for key sectors of the economy
– Manufacturing
– Food and Drink
– Retail
– Hospitality and Leisure
– Waste Management
– Road Haulage
– Construction
• 68 licences were identified as being more significant
– Impact on a large number of enterprises, apply across a number of sectors or entail
high licensing and / or compliance costs
5. Key Findings of Study
• Licensing is recognised as essential by business but the burden of many licences is
unnecessarily high
– Licence Fees; Application and Renewal Process; Compliance Time; Renewal Frequency
• Significance of costs varies from sector to sector, from licence to licence and in some
instances from business to business
– Flat fee structure, turnover structure, risk-based fee structure
• In certain sectors, such as retail and hospitality and in the case of SMEs the multiplicity of
licences imposes a significant time burden on management / owners
• Over 230,000 individual licensing or mandatory registrations were transacted in 2011
6. Action Plan for Jobs 2013
Disruptive Reform
– An Integrated Licensing Application System be delivered for the
Retail sector in the first instance;
– 40 Licensing Authorities
– 29 Core Licences
7. Project Parameters
• No additional cost to the business user (licensee)
• Use of the service by Licensing Authorities would not be
mandatory
• Innovative Public Procurement
8. Functional Specification
– A single online portal for the application, renewal and payment of licences
– A consolidated application mechanism
– A consolidated payment mechanism
– An attractive pricing model that does not incur a cost to the Contracting Authority or
the licensee,
» ensure the broadest take-up by public licensing authorities
– Provision of all the information that is required for the applications
– Allow the electronic upload of supporting documentation
– Ease of renewals
– System flexibility to allow additional licences to be included as the need arises
– Certain level of public access
9. On-Line Business Licensing System (OBLS) - Singapore
https://licences.business.gov.sg/SHINE/sop/WebPageHandl
er?p=OASIS&pn=SelectLicences&ss=Start
15. Procurement Process
• Request for Tender for a Single Vendor Framework Agreement
– Issued in the OJEU on 25th February 2014 with a closing date 17th April 2014
• Competition was successful – response from the market
• Agreed to award the tender and award the contract
• Contract conclusions – late October 2014
• Expected delivery of Service by end of 2014 to Licensing Authorities
17. Benefits to Business
• One-stop shop offering time savings to businesses
• Simpler application and renewal process
• Allows public sector and private sector licence
applications
• Help businesses keep track of licence-related transactions
• Help businesses meet their regulatory obligations
18. Benefits to Public Sector
• Part of the eGovernment agenda
• Medium Term Objectives
– Help provide productivity and efficiency gains by streamlining
the licence application process
– Potential for more integrated inspections and compliance
systems
– Potential for better application of risk-based enforcement
19. Benefits to the Economy at large
• Ease of doing business
• Helping businesses to grow
• Increasing competitiveness
• Ireland as the best small country to do business in by 2016
20. We will be happy to:
• Discuss the Irish experience with other Member States
• Share our key learnings
-Functionality
-Procurement process
-Roll-out of the Integrated Licensing Application
Service
• At a meeting of the SME Envoys in late 2015/early 2016
21. Contact Details Interim:
Michelle Kearney, Department of Jobs Enterprise and
Innovation
Phone 0035316312872
Email: michelle.kearney@djei.ie
Karen Hynes, Department of Jobs, Enterprise and
Innovation
Phone 0035316312870
Email: karen.hynes@djei.ie
22. Thank You/Go raibh maith agat
• Thank You/ Go raibh maith agat
Paraig Hennessy
Head of Unit
State Aid & Access to Finance Unit
Dept of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation
Ph: 01 6312486
Email: paraig.hennessy@djei.ie
