Seán Kyne (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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231. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he will report on the progress of media ownership legislation which will promote diversity and prevent monopolies; and if he has had discussions with the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation on this matter. [51961/13]

Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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As the Deputy will be aware, at present my primary function with regard to media is directly related to my remit in the broadcasting sector. The responsibility for control of mergers and acquisitions, including those relating to the media in the State, lies with my colleague, the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation as provided for in the Competition Act 2002. The Government decided in 2011 to draft a new Consumer and Competition Bill; part of that Decision involved giving effect in legislation to the recommendations of the Report of the Advisory Group on Media Mergers, and to transfer responsibility for public interest considerations from the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation to the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources. Primary responsibility for promulgating the Bill required to give effect to this Decision rests with the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation. However, my Department has been heavily engaged with the drafting of this legislation in recent months in tandem with the Department Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, and I gather that a final Bill will be ready for publication shortly. The critical role of the media in our democracy, and the potentially harmful effects of an over concentration of media ownership, means that this issue is a vitally important one. The Government remains committed to implementing a set of robust measures that allow for a transparent and objective assessment of the public good in media mergers cases, and to do so as quickly as possible.