Regulation

Beefed-up competition watchdog on the trail of cartels

New chairman of CCPC says agency’s new powers will be used to target ‘criminals in suits’ who are costing the taxpayer several billion yearly

Brian McHugh, chairperson of the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission. McHugh believes that the true scale of cartel behaviour, bid rigging, and other such competition breaches and market abuses is greater than most people appreciate. Picture: Fergal Phillips

Brian McHugh, the new chairman of the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC), the state’s competition watchdog, has cartels in his sights -- and he’s particularly focused on possible wrongdoing in the state’s €20 billion annual public procurement budget.

The CCPC has been acquiring new powers in recent months, and in his role of chair of McHugh has been overseeing the slow, steady transformation of the CCPC into a muscular regulatory agency with powers, more ...