Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Senator Conway for his positive response. An independent copyright review committee was established by the then Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation in May 2011 to examine copyright framework from the perspective of removing any obstacles to innovation. The committee's report, Modernising Copyright, was published in October 2013. The report contained in excess of 60 recommendations covering a diverse range of issues, including that of the access to justice before the Courts, particularly for low-value claims relating to intellectual property infringements.

Since publication, the Department has conducted extensive analysis of the recommendations, including examination from a policy perspective with relevant Departments and assessment of the complex legal issues involved in certain proposals. The Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Deputy Mitchell O'Connor, expects to be in a position in the coming weeks to bring to Government the Department's response to the committee’s recommendations and to seek approval for legislative proposals on several of its recommendations, including the area of interest to the Senator. I am sure Senator Conway is aware of the copyright review committee, chaired by Dr. Eoin O'Dell. I thank him for raising this issue and will keep him informed of any developments in this area and of the report in September.