Critical junctures: regulatory failures, Ireland's administrative state and the Office of the Ombudsman

Abstract

In the aftermath of global financial crisis, the importance of effective regulatory interventions by government has come into sharp relief. The failure of public administration and political oversight that underwrote the collapse of the Irish economy in 2008 has provoked widespread reflection on the need for increased administrative review in the country. This has extended beyond the specific financial sphere, to broader public law reform targeting executive power by building an improved parliamentary culture, greater independent oversight and concentrating democratic participation. In this article, we critique the Irish regulatory state through the prism of the pressures, conflicts and reforms to the Office of the Ombudsman over the past decade.