Red tape and small businesses

Sir, – Do any of our legislators (either Brussels or Dublin-based) even understand (let alone care) that the ceaseless ocean of regulation generated by them and now inundating even the smallest of businesses (and their employees) is slowly but inexorably asphyxiating commercial activity in this country and if they don’t stop and, indeed, retract huge swathes of it (some of which contradict each other, so mindless has it become), huge numbers of businesses will have to devote all their resources to dealing with regulation and compliance to the virtual exclusion of all else, leaving no capacity to earn and therefore inevitably leading to closures and unemployment? We already have more than enough laws to cover most contingencies. All our rulers have to do is enforce them.

The havoc the imminent General Data Protection Regulations are about to unleash has clearly not been properly thought through by any of them. Then again, isn’t that usually the case? After all, they won’t bear the brunt of it, cosseted as they are by bloated pensions. The private-sector employers and taxpayers will. As usual. – Yours, etc,

RICHARD E McDONNELL,

Ardee,

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Co Louth.