Alan Kelly (Tipperary, Labour)
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901. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the timeline for the passage of the Competition (Amendment) Bill through the Oireachtas; the amendments she expects to introduce to the legislation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22719/16]

Mary Mitchell O'Connor (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy is aware, the Competition (Amendment) Bill 2016 is a Private Member’s Bill which was introduced into Seanad Eireann in January 2016. Second Stage in Seanad Eireann was taken on 20 January 2016 while Committee Stage was taken on 6 July 2016. I understand from the Order Paper of Seanad Eireann, dated 12 July 2016, that Report Stage is now scheduled to take place on the first sitting day after the summer recess.

As indicated at Second Stage in Seanad Eireann, bearing in mind the central aim behind the Bill to protect vulnerable self-employed workers, Government amendments will be proposed at Report Stage in Seanad Eireann to address the policy objectives of the Bill of protecting vulnerable workers in a targeted way that would be consistent with Irish and EU competition law. However, it is premature to indicate what the exact nature of those amendments will be as they will require settling by the Office of Parliamentary Counsel.