Martin Ferris (Kerry North-West Limerick, Sinn Fein)
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29. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the measures he will take to ensure healthy competition prevails in the Irish beef industry. [2276/16]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The State, through the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, has an existing and well established infrastructure for oversight of competition matters and for dealing with allegations of anti-competitive practices or abuse of a dominant position.

While the deputy has not referred to any particular case, I am aware of recent proposed developments involving two meat processors. I understand that acquisitions or mergers of organisations with turnover exceeding certain statutory thresholds are required to be notified to that body or the EU Commission, which conduct an assessment to determine whether there will be any “substantial lessening of competition”. Any acquisition by one business of another in the beef industry will be subject to the relevant statutory requirements under competition law.