Liz McManus (Wicklow, Labour)
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Question 94: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the position regarding the implementation of the recommendations from the report on media mergers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29607/09]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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In 2008, my predecessor, Deputy Micheál Martin, initiated a review of the legislative provisions applying to media mergers. This was aimed at examining the criteria and arrangements for considering and assessing how a proposed merger might affect the diversity of views and the concentration of ownership within and across media businesses.

The Media Merger Advisory Group was established to assist in this review, which was undertaken as part of my Department's wider review of the operation and implementation of the Competition Act 2002. It is my intention to bring forward legislation during the course of 2009, which will reform aspects of competition law, including in relation to media mergers, and which will also implement the merger of the National Consumer Agency and the Competition Authority as announced last October.