2025 was a landmark year for collective litigation in Ireland, and momentum has continued into 2026. This update reports on three key developments: the designation of two new qualified entities (“QEs”), Euroconsum e.V. and Whizzbang e.V., on the Irish Register of QEs, the latest developments in Ireland’s first representative action Irish Council for Civil Liberties Company Limited by Guarantee v Microsoft Ireland Operations Limited (H.P.2025.0003009) and the Law Reform Commission (“LRC”) recommendations on third-party litigation funding, now expected after summer 2026.
Two New QEs Designated on 12 May 2026
On 15 June 2026 the Irish Register of Qualified Entities maintained by the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment (“DETE”) was updated to record the designation of two new QEs on 12 May 2026: Euroconsum e.V. and Whizzbang e.V. Euroconsum e.V. and Whizzbang e.V. are non-profit consumer protection associations registered in Germany, operating within a broader EU network.
The designations of Euroconsum e.V. and Whizzbang e.V. bring the total number of QEs on the Irish Register to five, joining the Irish Council for Civil Liberties (designated 5 June 2024), noyb — European Centre for Digital Rights (designated 11 October 2024), and Digital Rights Ireland (designated 3 July 2025).
The Register of Qualified Entities is maintained by DETE pursuant to the Representative Actions for the Protection of the Collective Interests of Consumers Act 2023 (the “Act”). It records those entities designated by the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment as authorised to bring representative actions on behalf of consumers. Designation as a QE is a prerequisite to commencing representative action proceedings.
As of 15 June 2026, there are 81 cross-border QEs on the list maintained by the European Commission including the five QEs on the Irish Register, compared to 76 at the end of 2025. European designations are significant as the Act permits cross-border representative actions i.e. a representative action brought by a QE in a Member State other than the Member State in which they were designated.
ICCL v Microsoft: Trial of Preliminary Issues
On 26 May 2025, the ICCL was granted leave to bring Ireland’s first representative action against Microsoft, concerning Real-Time Bidding within Microsoft’s online advertising system. The proceedings were admitted to the Commercial List of the High Court on consent on 30 June 2025. A trial of preliminary issues in the proceedings is due to commence on 16 June 2026 in the High Court.
Third-Party Litigation Funding: LRC Update
The recommendations of the LRC on the issue of third-party litigation funding, which is currently prohibited in Ireland, are highly anticipated. Those recommendations, which had been expected in late Spring 2026, are now anticipated after summer 2026 according to the LRC’s most recent newsletter.
A relaxation of the current prohibition would inevitably add further momentum to the use of the representative action mechanism in Ireland, particularly as regards representative actions seeking redress, given the likely costs associated with such proceedings.
Next Steps
As the number of QEs continues to grow and with the LRC’s recommendations on third-party litigation funding on the horizon, businesses operating in Ireland should closely monitor these developments and assess their exposure to potential representative actions. If you would like to discuss any of the matters covered in this update in more detail, please get in touch with any member of our Litigation, Dispute Resolution and Investigations Group.