Irish Examiner view: The public needs regulators with teeth

Real reform is long overdue — including a covenant that those who work for regulatory bodies cannot then move into roles within the industries they have been scrutinising

An Bord Pleanála's former deputy chairman Paul Hyde who last week received a jail sentence at the District Court in Bandon, Co Cork. Picture: Dan Linehan

After seven days in which white-collar crime, or suspicions of it, have dominated the headlines, it seems counterintuitive to note that plans to crack down upon another aspect are not yet underway, despite being signed into law 12 months ago.

As jail sentences were passed on the former deputy chairman of An Bord Pleanála, and allegations of fraud bandied around in the Oireachtas Public Accounts Committee examining RTÉ’s payment arrangements with “top talent”, the important topic of effective regulation was simultaneously being aired. And it was accompanied by a warning that new monitoring regimes which are required under European directives cannot function properly without additional legislation and increased resources.