Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation to meet Competition Authority

The Authority is responsible for promoting competition in the economy and for enforcing Irish and European competition law in Ireland.

Committee Chairman, Damien English TD, says: “Our Committee has an important oversight role of statutory agencies and the Competition Authority plays a key role in fostering open, competitive markets. A healthy competition policy fosters innovation and thus can directly relate to increases in employment and higher living standards.

“The Authority is due to amalgamate with the National Consumer Agency and our Committee will look forward to an update from Ms Goggin on how the merger in progressing. The Committee will be keen to explore the capacity of the Authority to deliver structural reform and enforcement of competition policy, a key component of the Memorandum of Understanding between the government and the Troika and critical to economic recovery in the long term.”

Preceding exchanges with the Competition Authority, the Committee will engage with representatives of the Crafts Council of Ireland on fostering local, sustainable employment in the sector.

Deputy English continues: “The representatives will outline the current contribution to enterprise and jobs of the sector to the wider economy, which employs almost 6,000 people nationwide and is worth about €500m to the economy. Our Committee is particularly focussed clear, innovative and actionable steps to curb unemployment, particularly youth unemployment. Tomorrow we will hear how the burgeoning market for Irish craft can be further supported and developed.”

This meeting takes in Committee 2, Leinster House, at 1.30pm tomorrow Tuesday 24 July, 2012. It begins with the submissions by the Craft Sector of Ireland and will be followed by engagement with Competition Authority Chairperson at approximately 3 pm.

Committee proceedings can be viewed online here.

For further information please contact:
Paul Hand,
Houses of the Oireachtas,
Communications Unit,
Leinster House,
Dublin 2
P: +3531 618 4484
F: +3531 618 4551

Committee Membership

Deputies:     
Michael Conaghan TD, Labour
Damien English TD, Fine Gael (Chairman)
Brendan GriffinTD, Fine Gael
John Halligan TD, Independent
Seán Kyne TD, Fine Gael
Anthony Lawlor TD, Fine Gael
John Lyons TD, Labour
Willie O’Dea TD, Fianna Fáil
Peadar Tóibín TD, Sinn Féin
Senators:     
Deirdre Clune     
David Cullinane     
John Kelly     
Michael Mullins     
Feargal Quinn     
Mary White