Ireland’s competition and consumer watchdog remains under “real pressure” in terms of managing its expanding mandate, the Dáil Committee of Public Accounts (PAC) will hear on Thursday.Officials from the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) will appear before the powerful committee to answer questions on its financial statements for 2024.In its opening statement, the group’s chairman, Brian McHugh will tell the committee its functions, powers and mandate have “expanded significantly” in more than a decade since it was established.“We understand further responsibilities may be assigned to the CCPC in the coming months,” he will say. “While some of these new functions strengthen our competition and consumer powers, a number of them expand our mandate into new areas which brings additional challenges.”When the CCPC was first established, the commission consisted of one chairperson and four commission members overseeing 75 staff working across nine specialist divisions. Its expanded mandate has required the addition of multiple new divisions over the past decade. Its sanctioned headcount has grown to 275 and it has seen its overall budget increase from €12.5 million to €35.8 million. However, it received “no significant additional exchequer funding” in 2026, McHugh will tell the committee.“While the increase in resources is welcome, real pressure remains with managing the expanding mandate,” he will say. “In particular, we would note that all the new functions have been added without significant changes to the most senior management structure. “We welcome recent positive engagement with the department and addressing this remains the most urgent priority for the commission in managing our risks.”Looking to the future, he will welcome the proposed Consumer Protection, Competition and Enforcement Bill 2026, which is set to include new powers for the CCPC to screen public tender data for signs of bid-rigging. “Cartels can increase prices by 20-30 per cent,” McHugh will say. With the State committing €275 billion of public capital investment over the next 10 years under the National Development Plan, it is essential the CCPC has access to public tender data so we can protect the public purse from cartels.“The bill will also enable the CCPC to impose more impactful financial sanctions for breaches of consumer law. This will allow us to impose fines that reflect the seriousness of the breach and act as a more effective deterrent.”“In terms of identifying and advocating for change in markets to boost Ireland’s competitiveness and improve consumers’ lives, we have recently looked at the taxi sector, home-buying and legal sectors.”