Regulating the Regulators

Michael McDowell, Leader of the Progressive Democrat party, and (for the moment still) Tanaiste and Minister for Justice and Law Reform, has made a little-noticed but valuable contribution to what might be a hot election issue in more serious times.

In the last decade, government has surrendered control of the regulation of various markets e.g. telephony, taxis, electricity, to government-appointed but "independent" regulators over whom the politicians have no power or influence.

Left-wingers generally do not like this, but even the Right has been confounded by the failure of some regulators to bring about some desirable things, such as wider availability of broadband.

Now - or, rather yesterday - The Irish Times reports that McDowell has identified this as an issue for the election, and has included it in his party's manifesto.

Regardless of the merits of the PD proposals, I think that they should be welcomed and that the other parties might usefully respond with their own approaches to the problem he has identified.