Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 24 Mar 1999

Vol. 502 No. 4

Written Answers. - Newspaper Sector Report.

Eamon Gilmore

Question:

28 Mr. Gilmore asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment when she will receive the report of the Competition and Mergers Review Group on the newspaper industry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8316/99]

David Stanton

Question:

98 Mr. Stanton asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment her views on the need to introduce legislation to deal with competition issues in the newspaper industry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8603/99]

Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment (Ms Harney)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 28 and 98 together.

The Competition and Mergers Review Group published on 3 March 1999 its discussion document on the newspaper sector. I asked the group to take account of and advise me on how best to implement certain recommendations of the Commission on the Newspaper Industry dealing with competition issues. The recommendations concern the factors to be considered in regulating changes of ownership of newspapers, that merger law be widened to enable consideration to be given to the acquisition of control over newspapers by means other than the acquisition of shares and finally that the issue of concentration of ownership be considered on a media wide as well as on a single media basis.

The Competition and Mergers Review Group has invited comments on document by 30 April 1999. As I have already stated this issue forms but one part of the overall work of the review group. In July 1998 the review group published its discussion document on mergers and work continues on their wider consideration of competition policy. When the review group has assimilated and considered all the comments of the pub lic and interested parties it expects to submit its final report and recommendations to me, later this year.