Willie Penrose (Longford-Westmeath, Labour)
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Question 246: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Innovation when he intends to publish the legislation to amend the Competition Acts to uphold the right of certain freelance workers such as actors and musicians to collective bargaining, which was promised as part of the review of the Towards 2016; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36636/10]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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"Towards 2016" contains a Government commitment to introduce amending legislation to exclude voice-over actors, freelance journalists and session musicians when engaging in collective bargaining, from the provisions of Section 4 of the Competition Act 2002. The commitment takes into account, inter alia, that there would be negligible negative impacts on the economy or on the level of competition, and would have regard to the specific attributes and nature of the work involved, and be subject to consistency with EU competition rules.

I intend, subject to consistency with EU competition law, to give effect to this commitment in the legislation currently being prepared to merge the National Consumer Agency and the Competition Authority. This legislation will also amend, reform and update certain provisions of existing competition and consumer law. Draft Heads of the Bill have been completed and circulated to Ministers for their views. It is my intention to bring these Heads to Government shortly for approval to draft the Bill. I hope to publish the Bill early next year.