The Competition Authority has implemented new internal procedures in an effort to prevent a recurrence of the "human error" that resulted in the automatic clearance of Topaz's takeover of Statoil, an Oireachtas Committee heard yesterday.

Addressing the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Enterprise and Small Business, Competition Authority chairman Bill Prasifka apologised unreservedly for the mistake and said an internal inquiry had been conducted to "determine the precise sequence of events which led to the error".

Procedures have been put in place to ensure calculations of merger deadlines are checked more thoroughly. The authority is also carrying out an internal review to integrate its procedures and systems to further minimise "the possibility of human error in the calculation of dates".

Responding to a question from a committee member as to whether the authority would have blocked the merger, Mr Prasifka said he could not state categorically how events would have turned out had the deadline not been missed. However, he said that the proposals provided by Topaz had been "broadly acceptable" to the Mergers Division of the Competition Authority, although the details had not been fully worked out.

Topaz has voluntarily agreed to implement proposals that Mr Prasifka said "address the competition concerns raised by the merger". These proposals include leasing out its interest in a Galway oil terminal and selling a filling station in Dublin. The authority would continue to have a "monitoring role" to ensure Topaz carried out the proposals.

On a separate issue, Mr Prasifka told the committee that increased competition was required in the energy market, particularly in the electricity sector, and said the Competition Authority would publish a consultation paper on the issue of rising energy prices by December 1st.