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ARTICLE · 16 MARCH 2026

Government Publishes Media Regulation Bill

Arthur Cox
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On 19 February 2026, the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport (the "Minister") announced Government approval to publish the Media Regulation Bill 2026 (the "Media Regulation Bill").

IrelandAntitrust/Competition Law
Richard Ryan
Richard Ryan
Patrick Horan
Patrick Horan
Simon Breen
Simon Breen
Edel O'Connell
Edel O'Connell
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On 19 February 2026, the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport (the "Minister") announced Government approval to publish the Media Regulation Bill 2026 (the "Media Regulation Bill").

Introduction

The Media Regulation Bill proposes a number of changes to the Competition Act 2002 (as amended) ("Competition Act") to give effect to Ireland's obligations under the European Media Freedom Act ("EMFA")1, including changes to the existing media merger regime.2

If adopted, the Media Regulation Bill will widen the scope of Ireland's existing media merger regime, while excluding certain transactions that are unlikely to impact on media plurality or have a limited connection to Ireland.

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