Bruton `indecisive' on Press says O'Rourke

FIANNA Fail's deputy leader, Ms Mary O'Rourke, has accused the Minister for Enterprise and Employment, Mr Bruton, of failing to act decisively over the Irish Press collapse.

Ms O'Rourke was commenting following the decision of Independent Newspapers to pull out of any involvement in a relaunch of the Sunday Press. There was no comment from the Minister yesterday on this latest episode in Independent's involvement in Irish Press.

Yesterday spokesmen for both Irish Press plc and Independent Newspapers also refused to comment.

Ms O'Rourke said that, although the Minister had made it clear he would not allow any involvement in Irish Press by Independent Newspapers, he had never given "a clear signal to potential investors" as to what he might do.

Commenting on the Minister's strategy since the publication of the report of the Competition Authority last April, Ms O'Rourke said the Minister had never taken the initiative.

The Competition Authority found that Independent Newspapers had abused its dominant position and acted in an uncompetitive manner when it bought into Irish Press.

The Minister refused to act, indicating that a long-drawn-out court case would be the only result of such an action.

Mr Bruton, said Ms O'Rourke, had played a reluctant part in the whole affair. "He was always seen to react a long while after events had taken place. His heart was never in it," she said.

All the speculation about international media players entering the Irish market through an Irish Press takeover has now ceased. At this stage it is difficult to envisage a relaunch that is not a major risk. The Sunday Press readership has disappeared. The first audited circulation figures not including the Sunday Press will be available towards the end of February, but it is believed the other newspapers have all picked up Sunday Press readers.

While a new newspaper would have difficulty prising those readers away from their current purchases, it is believed that there are a number of gaps in the Sunday market and that there is some reader dissatisfaction with existing publications.

The prospect of an Irish Times on Sunday is still being investigated, according to the group managing director and deputy chief executive, Mr Louis O'Neill. News International is also understood to be proceeding with plans for an Irish edition of the Sunday Times.

Yesterday industry sources were predicting a shake-up in the Irish Sunday market with the end of the uncertainty surrounding the future of the Press titles.