There were 90 mergers notified in 2025, up from 82 in 2024 and 68 in 2023, according to the CCPC’s annual mergers and acquisitions report for 2025 — a 32 per cent increase in two years.

Nearly two-thirds of the 91 determinations issued in 2025, which include 12 issued in relation to cases carried over from 2024, were made under the CCPC’s simplified merger notification procedure (SMNP).

In 2025, the average number of working days to reach a Phase 1 determination in non-extended cases was 17.

For mergers dealt with under the SMNP, the CCPC reduced the average working days from notifications to determination from 13.3 in 2024 to 12.5.

Five Phase 2 investigations were concluded in 2025, with two transactions cleared unconditionally and the remaining three cleared with remedies.

Eight media mergers were notified to the CCPC in 2025, compared to three in 2024. Six were cleared unconditionally, and two have been carried over in 2026.

The new report also notes a major organisational milestone for the CCPC in 2025, with the former competition enforcement and mergers divisions split into two dedicated divisions — the mergers division and the antitrust division.

CCPC member Úna Butler said: “Our goal is to ensure that competition is protected to the benefit of consumers and to that end, it was another busy year for merger review in Ireland.

“The CCPC issued 91 determinations in 2025. That’s a 34 per cent increase in determinations annually since 2023. 

“We also concluded five Phase 2 investigations this year, all of which required detailed economic analysis and extensive engagement with stakeholders.”

Looking ahead to 2026 and beyond, Ms Butler continued: “One key element of a merger review regime is the need to ensure efficiency.

“In 2025 the CCPC established a standalone mergers division, ensuring senior resourcing and a sharper focus on merger review. The creation of this new division will support the delivery of a sustainable and effective merger review regime into the future.

“As we move forward, the CCPC hopes to see the financial thresholds for mandatory notification of mergers in Ireland increased so that we can focus resources on transactions which are more likely to raise competition issues.

“These thresholds were last updated in 2019 and, in light of considerations such as inflation during the intervening time period, the introduction of new merger call-in powers and the government’s commitment to reduce regulatory burden on businesses, the CCPC feels now is the time to reconsider the merger thresholds.”