Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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328. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his views on the level of competition in the Irish beef and lamb processing sector; on the planned move by a company (details supplied); the actions taken to ascertain if such a move would undermine competition in these sectors. [12126/16]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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Through the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, the State has an existing and well-established infrastructure for oversight of competition issues and for dealing with allegations of anti-competitive practices or the abuse of a dominant market position. I am very much aware of the importance of competition in both the beef and lamb processing sector and my predecessor the then Minister for Agriculture, Simon Coveney TD made a submission to the Commission on the matter referred to by the Deputy.

It is my understanding that acquisitions or mergers of organisations with turnover exceeding certain statutory thresholds must be notified to that body, or to the European Commission which will subsequently conduct an assessment to determine whether there will be any ‘substantial lessening of competition’. The acquisition referred to by the deputy will be subject to the relevant statutory requirements under competition law.