Charles Flanagan
Ceist:81 Mr. Flanagan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment when legislation will be published dealing with mergers and monopolies; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12664/01]
Written Answers - Proposed Legislation.
I have now cleared all policy aspects of a general scheme of a Bill to give effect to certain recommendations of the competition and mergers review group. I expect to circulate the scheme to other Departments during this month with a view to obtaining an early Government decision to authorise drafting of the Bill by the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel. I expect to be in a position to publish the Bill later this year.
The Bill will propose a number of significant reforms in relation to mergers, including the transfer of responsibility from the Minister to the Competition Authority for examining and deciding upon most mergers and the introduction of additional public interest criteria in the case of newspaper-media mergers, final responsibility for which will continue to rest with the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment.