Full coverage: Competition Law

The competition watchdog will soon have new rules for whistleblowers and the power to impose hefty fines on businesses. McCann Fitzgerald partners Philip Andrews and Laura Treacy explore a seismic shift in Ireland's antitrust laws.

Following a competition probe, the company selling the vast majority of Ireland’s concert tickets has agreed to remove clauses forcing venues to use its services. The issue was thrown open during the sale of Denis Desmond’s gig promotion firm two years ago.

As his office prepares to take on sweeping new responsibilities, Ireland’s top competition law enforcer Brian McHugh discusses Brexit, EU-wide efforts to regulate tech multinationals and the CCPC’s reluctance to tackle beef barons.

Just one year ago, meat factories now at the centre of Covid-19 outbreaks were facing another storm, with pickets at their gates. Complaints gave rise to an examination of competition in the sector, but a trawl of the 316 files in the case shows that while the CCPC found time to threaten protesting farmers with legal action, the watchdog stopped short of contacting beef barons.

The former directors of Goode Concrete claim CRH and Kilsaran abused their dominant positions in the market by using predatory pricing to eliminate competition. The allegations are vigorously contested.