Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Wednesday, 14 September 2022

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation

General Scheme of Representative Actions for the Protection of the Collective Interests of Consumers Bill 2022: Discussion

Mr. Philip Andrews:

I am not sure if this adds to the Deputy's point, but a collective action was announced yesterday against one of the online giants following a fine received in France of €220 million for self-preferencing on an advert exchange. That action is being taken both in the UK and the Netherlands. In the lawyers' press release when it was announced, they went through the team they have. It illustrates how big a team is required. It is a boutique competition law firm, Monckton Chambers in the UK, which is an extremely well-regarded barristers' chambers. It has funding from a third-party specialist litigation funder called Harbour. All of those things make it a serious case.