The Response Burden Barometer (RBB) for 2013 reduced by 18.9% since it was first measured in 2005, and when measured against the peak year of 2008, the RBB reduced by 32.4%.

The RBB is a measure of the total administrative burden placed on Irish enterprises and agricultural holdings by Central Statistics Office (CSO) surveys when calculated on an actual compliance basis¹.

There was a rise of 9.6% in the burden between 2012 and 2013. This can be largely attributed to the Farm Structure Survey which is carried out under Regulation (EC) No 1166/2008 every 2-3 years. When this takes place, the sample size of the June Agriculture Survey increases from approximately 12,000 to 55,000. As some surveys such as this and the Census of Agriculture (every ten years) etc, don't take place every year, care needs to be taken when comparing the RBB of one year to that of the previous one.  There can also be natural fluctuation with enterprises entering and leaving the survey population over the course of the year, and variation in response expected. Improved data and development of methodologies also contribute to variation within the RBB. The cost to business of this burden was €4.6 million in 2013. See Tables 1 & 2.

It is estimated that there were 365,700 active business enterprises (including agricultural holdings) in Ireland in 2013. In the course of 2013, the CSO issued 350,900 surveys forms, or an average of 0.96 survey forms per enterprise. There were 243,900 forms returned as partially or wholly completed, representing an average of 0.67 forms per enterprise. See Table 2.

If burden is measured on the basis of partially or fully completed survey forms actually returned to the CSO (i.e., if burden is based on actual compliance), then the total number of hours spent by enterprises in 2013 was 213,200, or 35 minutes per enterprise. The administrative cost, measured on 2005 prices, of actual compliance was €7.7 million, or €21 per enterprise. The administrative burden of actual compliance in 2013 was €4.6 million, or €13 per enterprise². See Measurement Methodology & Table 2.

If all survey forms issued by the CSO were partially or wholly completed and returned (i.e.,  if there had been full compliance), then the total number of hours spent on this task by enterprises in Ireland in 2013 would have been 267,900, or an average of 44 minutes per enterprise. The administrative cost of full compliance was €9.9 million, or €27 per enterprise. The administrative burden (i.e., administrative costs less business-as-usual costs) of full compliance would have been €6.0 million, or €16 per enterprise. See Measurement Methodology & Table 2.

The most burdensome survey in 2013 was the Trade Intrastat Imports survey, which issued 58,700 forms, of which 53,000 were returned partially or wholly completed.

The administrative costs of completing all Intrastat Imports forms in 2013 were €3.2 million. Of the purely CSO surveys, the full compliance administrative costs of the Balance of Payment surveys were €785,200 in 2013, while the actual compliance administrative costs were €748,100.

 ¹ Actual compliance basis: calculated on a time and cost basis of fully or partially completed returns to the CSO. This is the preferred method of the European Statistical System for calculating the Response Burden Barometer level.

² The  hourly administrative cost figure used in the calculations was €44.83(based on 2005 figures). The administrative burden of CSO surveys was 60.32% of the administrative costs figure. Please see Methodology for further details.

Scan the QR code below to view this release online or go to
http://www.cso.ie/en/releasesandpublications/ep/p-rbb/responseburdenbarometer2013/