Sir, – In your Editorial (April 27th) you refer to “the failure of successive governments to put in place a regulatory framework which is fit for purpose in safeguarding the strong public interest in media plurality”.
As minister for industry and commerce, I introduced the Mergers, Takeovers and Monopolies (Control) Act, 1978. When it had passed I made an Order under Section 2.5 (a) in relation to the print media requiring in the public interest the application of the Act to all such proposed acquisitions no matter how small. This enabled the relevant minister to prohibit any such acquisitions he or she thought contrary to the public interest.
That this provision was “fit for purpose” is evident by the fact it provoked a strong response from Independent Newspapers which then owned 16 newspapers in the State. I thought that was enough.
In the early 1990s, again as minister for industry and commerce, I blocked them from taking more than 29.9 per cent of the Sunday Tribune. That Act was repealed in 2002 by a Competition Act which seemingly is less effective as far as media ownership is concerned. – Yours, etc,