Financial and regulatory failure: The case of Ireland

The article chronicles the evolution of financial regulation in Ireland, with particular attention given to the roles, responsibilities and actions of those authorities responsible for maintaining financial stability. It examines the role of financial regulation during the property bubble and subsequent bust, in particular, the huge increase in property-backed lending, which fuelled its growth during the mid-2000s and contributed to one of the largest banking failures experienced by a developed country since the great depression. We investigate the impact of ongoing government support to the banking system and the damage that has been done to public finances since the banking crisis.