14th July 2026
The Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, Peter Burke, has welcomed the publication of the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission’s (CCPC) Annual Report for 2025, highlighting the Commission’s vital role in protecting consumers, promoting fair competition, supporting transparent and competitive markets and delivering tangible results. The report outlines a year of significant activity and impact which included:
- A milestone in the implementation of Ireland’s new competition enforcement regime was reached with the appointment of the State’s first Chief Adjudication Officer and 17 adjudication officers.
- Five successful prosecutions were secured for breaches of consumer protection law, including cases taken under new sales pricing legislation.
- An enforcement outcome resulting in the conviction of five school bus operators for bid-rigging following a CCPC investigation.
- Strengthening consumer safety through the removal, recall, or market prevention of more than 276,000 unsafe or non-compliant products.
- Continuing to support and empower consumers, with more than 2.2 million visits to the CCPC website, almost 43,000 consumers were assisted through its helpline and there were over 3.3 million views of the CCPC-sponsored RTÉ consumer rights series, The Complaints Bureau.
Speaking today, Minister Burke said:
“The CCPC continues to deliver for Irish consumers and businesses by ensuring our markets remain competitive, transparent and safe. The achievements outlined in this report demonstrate the importance of strong, independent enforcement in maintaining trust in our economy and protecting consumers from unfair practices.
“The CCPC’s work in 2025 was significant, from securing a cartel conviction and intensifying consumer protection enforcement, to removing hundreds of thousands of unsafe products from the market and implementing Ireland’s new competition enforcement regime. These achievements show a regulator that is effective and responsive to emerging challenges. “I also welcome the CCPC’s growing role in areas such as digital regulation, accessibility, data governance and artificial intelligence. In relation to its advocacy work on issues such as access to vehicle history information and improving the home-buying process, the CCPC ensures that the consumer is central to its mission.
"As Minister, I look forward to continuing our close collaboration to ensure the CCPC has the powers and resources necessary to effectively advocate for and enforce competition, consumer protection and product safety legislation, supporting both Ireland’s competitiveness and consumer welfare.”
Minister of State for Trade Promotion, Artificial Intelligence and Digital Transformation, Niamh Smyth, also welcomed the report, stating:
“The CCPC’s work is fundamental to ensuring that consumers are protected and that businesses compete on a level playing field. I commend the CCPC’s achievements in 2025, particularly its proactive enforcement activity, its preparations for its new responsibilities under the European Accessibility Act and EU Artificial Intelligence Act, and its focus on the challenges and opportunities presented by digital markets. “As Ireland’s digital economy continues to evolve, the CCPC has an increasingly important role to play in building consumer trust, promoting transparency and ensuring that innovation benefits consumers and businesses alike. I look forward to continuing to support the Commission in its mission to uphold fairness, competition and consumer confidence across the economy.”
The full report is available at www.ccpc.ie
ENDS
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