S.I. No. 17/1979:

MERGERS, TAKE-OVERS AND MONOPOLIES (NEWSPAPERS) ORDER, 1979.

MERGERS, TAKE-OVERS AND MONOPOLIES (NEWSPAPERS) ORDER, 1979.

I, DESMOND O'MALLEY, Minister for Industry, Commerce and Energy, in exercise of the powers conferred on me by section 2 (5) of the Mergers, Take-Overs and Monopolies (Control) Act, 1978 (No. 17 of 1978), hereby make the following Order:

1. This Order may be cited as the Mergers, Take-overs and Monopolies (Newspapers) Order, 1979.

2. In this Order "newspaper" means any periodical consisting substantially of news and comment on current affairs, but does not include a newspaper intended for circulation only to members of a particular trade, profession or occupation.

3. It is hereby declared that, notwithstanding section 2 (1) of the Mergers, Take-overs and Monopolies (Control) Act, 1978 (No. 17 of 1978), that Act shall apply to proposed mergers or take-overs of the following class, namely, proposed mergers or take-overs involving enterprises at least one of which is engaged in the printing or publication (or printing and publication) of one or more than one newspaper.

GIVEN under my Official Seal, this 25th day of January,

1979.

DESMOND O'MALLEY,

Minister for Industry, Commerce and Energy.

EXPLANATORY NOTE.

The effect of the Order is to apply the provisions of the Mergers, Take-overs and Monopolies (Control) Act, 1978 , to any proposed merger or take-over involving at least one enterprise engaged in newspaper publication, regardless of the turnover or gross assets of either of the enterprises concerned.

While the Order is effective from the date of its signature, it is nevertheless required under Section 2 (6) of the Act to be confirmed by a resolution of each House of the Oireachtas within 21 sitting days in each case.