Sarah Harte: Government’s mission should be a more competitively-priced Ireland

The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission's promised new powers must be underpinned by extra funding and the political backing to make life more equitable for all

Interest rates and the price of groceries and fuel attract much of the attention — but a lack of competition affects all aspects of life in Ireland, including access to law. Stock picture: Sondem/Alamy

Gawping at pictures of Rupert Murdoch in the Daily Mail (known as the scroll bar of shame) floating around the Med with his new girlfriend made me think of monopolies because it turns out that his latest squeeze Elena Zhukova was formerly Roman Abramovich’s mother-in-law. Absorbing this high-level news, it struck me how connected these Titans are, and how they impact our world in ways we can’t even imagine.

Over the last several decades there has been a significant concentration of corporate power globally. And when markets become too concentrated, the quality of goods and services can weaken, with consumers paying the price.