Niall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail)
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115. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation her plans to meet the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment to discuss media ownership and media diversity here; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16908/18]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The media merger functions previously held by the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation were transferred to the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment in the Competition and Consumer Protection Act 2014.

The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) has a statutory role in determining certain mergers and acquisitions. With respect to media mergers, under section 18(1)(b) of the Competition Act 2002, and pursuant to Statutory Instrument No. 122 of 2007, a merger or acquisition must be notified to the CCPC, irrespective of the turnover of the undertakings involved, if:

(a) two or more of the undertakings involved carry on a media business in the State, or

(b) one or more of the undertakings involved carries on a media business in the State and one or more of the undertakings involved carries on a media business elsewhere.

The sole role of the CCPC is to form a view whether the result of the merger or acquisition would be to substantially lessen competition in markets for goods or services in the State. It does not have any role in relation to media plurality or diversity.

Section 9 (5) of the Competition and Consumer Protection Act 2014 provides that the CCPC is independent in the performance of its functions, including making a determination in relation to a merger or acquisition.

As merger notifications form part of the day to day operational work of the CCPC, I, as Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation, have no direct function in determining merger notifications, including media mergers.