Maurice Quinlivan (Limerick City, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The meeting has been convened for the purpose of considering the Competition (Amendment) Bill 2022, which was referred to the select committee by order of the Dáil on 9 February 2022. The purpose of this Bill is to give effect to Directive 2019/1 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 December 2018 to empower the competition authorities of member states to be more effective enforcers and to ensure the proper functioning of the Internal Market, ECN+. ECN+ is intended to ensure effective and consistent application of EU laws, with close co-operation by its member states. The Bill is also intended to strengthen the powers of the State in tackling white-collar crime, economic crime and corruption as part of the response to the Hamilton report, "Review of Structures and Strategies to Prevent, Investigate and Penalise Economic Crime and Corruption", which was published by the Minister for Justice, Deputy McEntee, in December 2020.

I welcome Deputy Troy, Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, who is accompanied by his officials. There are 171 amendments tabled and groupings will apply to them. I propose that we try to complete our consideration of the Bill on Committee Stage today. Is that agreed? Agreed.

We will now proceed with our consideration of the Bill. I call on the Minister of State to deliver his statement.