Alan Kelly (Tipperary, Labour)
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894. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the number of files forwarded to the DPP by the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission and previously the Competition Authority in 2013, 2014 and 2015 in respect of suspected infringements of section 4 of the Competition Act 2002. [22676/16]

Mary Mitchell O'Connor (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy is aware, the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) is the statutory independent body responsible for the enforcement of domestic and EU competition law in the State. Section 9 of the Competition and Consumer Protection Act 2014 provides that the Commission is independent in the performance of its functions, including carrying out investigations of alleged breaches of the law. As investigations and enforcement matters generally are part of the day-to-day operational work of the Authority, I, as Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, have no direct function in the matter.

I understand from the CCPC that since 2013, the CCPC has sent one file to the DPP in respect of suspected infringements of Section 4 of the Competition Act 2002. This was sent in 2014 and the trial is set to take place in April 2017.