Eamon Scanlon (Sligo-Leitrim, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

862. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he will intervene and review the sale of a newspaper (details supplied); if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the takeover may breach the cross media ownership regulations set out in the Competition and Consumer Protection Act 2014; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27211/16]

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

While I am aware that the proposed purchase of Celtic Media, including the Anglo Celt newspaper, by Independent News & Media is currently being considered by the CCPC, I have no role in relation to the proposed transaction until the CCPC has made its determination in this case.

Should the proposed purchase receive clearance from the CCPC, it must then be notified to me as Minister.

Upon receipt of notification from the parties, a phase 1examination of the merger is carried out by my Department. This examination is guided by the relevant criteria laid out in the legislation and by the Guidelines on Media Mergers, both of which are available on my Department's website. Following this examination, I have three options under the legislation, which are to allow the merger to proceed, to allow the merger to proceed with conditions, or to ask the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI) to conduct a more in-depth, or phase 2, examination of the proposed merger.

If the latter is the case, then the BAI will, following its examination of the proposed merger, provide me with a report detailing its recommendations on the matter. It is also possible for me, as Minister, to establish an advisory panel to provide an opinion to the BAI on the application of the relevant criteria to the media merger in question. Following receipt of the BAI's report and recommendations, I must then make a decision either to allow the merger to proceed, to allow it to proceed with conditions or to refuse to grant my consent.

As this case is currently being assessed by the CCPC, it would not be appropriate for me to provide further comment at this time until that process is completed.