Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 26 Oct 1994

Vol. 446 No. 4

Written Answers. - Merger Statistics.

Brendan McGahon

Ceist:

91 Mr. McGahon asked the Minister for Enterprise and Employment the number of mergers that have been notified in the past year under the Mergers Act; the numbers notified under the Competition Act; and the number of those that would be notified if the proposed new Competition Bill were implemented. [1891/94]

Minister for Enterprise and Employment (Mr. Quinn)

The most recent full year for which statistics are available is the year ended 31 December, 1993. A total of 115 merger or take-over proposals were notified to me in this period in accordance with section 5 of the Mergers, Take-overs and Monopolies (Control) Act, 1978 as amended. Of these 58 did not fall within the scope of the Acts and one was withdrawn.

I am informed by the Competition Authority that agreements in respect of 13 merger or take-over proposals were notified to them for clearance under section 4 of the Competition Act, 1991 in the same period.

The number of mergers or take-overs notified is affected by a range of factors, including economic conditions. The economic conditions which pertain in any particular year will have a direct bearing on the number and type of mergers which arise and which require notification. I am not, therefore, in a position to estimate the number of merger notifications which I could expect when the Competition (Amendment) Bill, 1994 is enacted. Section 2 of the Bill will exclude a merger or takeover from section 4 of the Competition Act, 1991.