Michael Ahern (Cork East, Fianna Fail)

In October, the Minister announced a public consultation on the operation and implementation of the Competition Act 2002. In addition to publishing newspaper advertisements requesting comments, observations and submissions from any interested parties, my Department also wrote directly to a number of experienced competition law practitioners, as well as to business representative groups and the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, requesting their input into the review process. The end of the year has been set as the deadline for receipt of all submissions.

I ask the House to oppose this Bill and to allow the proposals contained in it, including their wider EU implications, to be fully examined in the context of the overall review of the operation and implementation of the 2002 Competition Act.

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