Log in or register
Share on LinkedInShare on LinkedIn

ARTICLE · 20 JULY 2023

Representative Actions Legislation: Implications For Ireland

William Fry LLP
William Fry LLP
Contributor
William Fry LLP

William Fry LLP

William Fry advises leading Irish and international companies, covering both the public and private...

View firm profile
Explore more from William Fry LLP

On 11 July 2023, the President of Ireland signed into law the Representative Actions for the Protection of the Collective Interests...

IrelandConsumer Protection
Mary Cooney
Mary Cooney
Adele Hall
Adele Hall
Author LinkedIn connections

On 11 July 2023, the President of Ireland signed into law the Representative Actions for the Protection of the Collective Interests of Consumers Act 2023 (Act), transposing European Union Directive (EU) 2020/1828 (Directive).

A commencement order is awaited to bring its provisions into operation.

When commenced, the Act will enable consumers to seek collective redress and provide effective remedies where they are harmed by traders' violations of EU consumer protection law.

What does this mean for Ireland?

The Act introduces a type of class action in Ireland whereby qualified entities (QE's) are empowered to bring "Representative Actions" against traders on behalf of consumers whose rights have been breached in Ireland or other EU member states. A Representative Action is one for the protection of the collective interests of consumers brought by a QE.

We operate a free-to-view policy, asking only that you register in order to read all of our content. Please login or register to view the rest of this article.

Register for freeORLog in

The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.

View source

Related Articles

Legal Intelligence Newsletters: sign up for the latest legal and regulatory news on your chosen topics

Read more about

Related Comparative Guides

See more popular content from

Article

EU Introduces Mandatory Withdrawal Button For Online Consumer Contracts

The EU's new withdrawal button requirement will fundamentally reshape how online traders interact with consumers across member states. From June 2026, businesses offering digital contracts must implement a two-step withdrawal function that allows consumers to exercise their 14-day cooling-off period with unprecedented ease. What technical, operational, and legal changes must traders implement to meet these obligations, and what are the consequences of non-compliance?
IrelandConsumer Protection
RDJ LLP
RDJ LLP
Article

New Rules On Green Claims To Take Effect In Ireland – What Do Businesses Need To Know?

From September 2026, businesses making environmental claims in Ireland will face heightened regulatory scrutiny under new EU-transposed legislation designed to combat greenwashing. The regulations introduce specific offences for misleading sustainability claims and grant the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission expanded enforcement powers, including criminal penalties of up to EUR100,000 and imprisonment for non-compliance.
IrelandConsumer Protection
DLA Piper
DLA Piper
Article

EU Declines Video Game Playability Mandate

When Ubisoft shut down servers for its 2014 racing game The Crew, players lost access to content they had purchased. This sparked a European Citizens' Initiative gathering 1.3 million signatures demanding publishers keep games playable after commercial support ends. The European Commission's response and its implications for digital content sellers across all sectors reveal critical obligations under existing EU consumer protection law.
IrelandConsumer Protection
William Fry LLP
William Fry LLP
Article

The Green Transition Directive: Financial Services Impact

The European Union's Green Transition Directive introduces sweeping changes to consumer protection law, targeting misleading environmental claims and sustainability labels across all sectors. Ireland's implementing regulations, effective September 2026, will prohibit generic green claims, require detailed verification of environmental promises, and ban sustainability labels lacking proper certification. Financial services firms must now navigate expanded rules on misleading practices, particularly regarding
IrelandConsumer Protection
Arthur Cox
Arthur Cox
Article

Ireland’s New Distance Financial Services Rules: What Businesses Need To Know

Ireland has transposed the EU's Distance Marketing of Financial Services Directive II into national law through new regulations that fundamentally reshape how financial services firms must interact with consumers online. The European Union (Distance Contracts for Financial Services) Regulations 2026 introduce stringent pre-contractual disclosure requirements, mandatory online cancellation functions, and explicit prohibitions against manipulative interface design. Digital financial service providers must now
IrelandConsumer Protection
Matheson
Matheson
Article

Ireland’s Data Centre Connections: Back Online

Ireland has lifted its data centre connection moratorium and introduced a demanding new framework requiring developers to provide their own generation capacity, source 80% of electricity from new Irish renewables within six years, and meet strict grid stability requirements. The policy creates significant opportunities for developers who can navigate the complex intersection of grid connection, planning permission, and renewable energy procurement, though a pending legal challenge adds uncertainty to the la
IrelandEnergy and Natural Resources
William Fry LLP
William Fry LLP
Article

Government Legislative Priorities For Autumn 2026

The Government has published its Autumn 2026 Legislation Programme, identifying 32 bills for priority publication and 32 bills for priority drafting. This article explores a selection of measures likely to be of interest to businesses, spanning digital economy, strategic infrastructure, litigation reform, financial regulation, competition law, corporate structures, employment, pensions, and healthcare sectors.
IrelandGovernment, Public Sector
William Fry LLP
William Fry LLP
Article

Data For Sale: Can Insolvent Companies Realise The Value Of Corporate Data?

Spirit Airlines' proposed $10 million sale of a massive de-identified corporate dataset to Google in its Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings raises fundamental questions about whether operational business data can be treated as a realisable asset in insolvency. The transaction highlights the legal tension between preserving a dataset's commercial utility and ensuring individuals cannot be identified, particularly when the data maintains referential integrity across multiple systems.
IrelandInsolvency/Bankruptcy/Re-Structuring
William Fry LLP
William Fry LLP
Article

Time Running Out As AI Transparency Guidelines Published

The European Commission has published comprehensive guidelines on AI transparency obligations under Article 50 of the EU AI Act, with enforcement beginning August 2, 2026. These guidelines establish how organizations must disclose AI systems, mark synthetic content, label deepfakes, and demonstrate compliance, with significant penalties for non-compliance reaching up to €15 million or 3% of global turnover.
IrelandTechnology
William Fry LLP
William Fry LLP
Article

CBI Consults On Third-Party Risk

The Central Bank of Ireland has published a consultation paper proposing new guidance on managing third-party risks that extends beyond traditional outsourcing to encompass partnerships, joint ventures, and fintech collaborations. The proposed framework aligns with recent European Banking Authority guidelines and DORA, introducing a lifecycle-based approach with enhanced contractual provisions and broader scope than the 2021 guidance it will replace. Financial entities now face the challenge of identifying
IrelandFinance and Banking
William Fry LLP
William Fry LLP