Representative Actions In Ireland: 2024 In Review

The commencement of the Representative Actions for the Protection of the Collective Interests of Consumers Act 2023 (the "Act") on 30 April 2024 introduced a new civil litigation mechanism in Ireland through which representative actions can be brought by qualified entities on behalf of consumers for alleged infringement of their rights under relevant enactments. The effectiveness of the Act is tempered however, absent reform of the current prohibition on third party funding, save for limited circumstances.

Qualified Entities

Under the Act, discussed in detail in our earlier briefing, a representative action for the protection of the collective interests of consumers can now be brought by a qualified entity to seek injunctive relief and/or redress in respect of infringements by traders under the relevant enactments listed in the Schedule to the Act. The relevant enactments traverse a range of industries including financial services, travel and tourism, data