CCPC’s probe of burglar alarm sector and other enforcement actions pushed tally higher
The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission’s (CCPC) annual financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2024, show legal fees related to enforcement activity rose to €882,023 in 2024, compared with €88,709 the previous year.
The huge hike was largely due to a legal case involving Ryanair, the CCPC and the Italian competition authority (AGCM), a spokesperson for the commission told the Irish Independent.
“Approximately 75pc of the legal fees incurred in 2024 concerned the cost of defending proceedings initiated by Ryanair against the CCPC, following an inspection carried out on behalf of the Italian competition authority,” the CCPC said.
The case arose following a search of Ryanair’s Dublin Airport facilities on March 8, 2024, by officials from the CCPC and the AGCM.
The search was part of an investigation by the Italians into whether Ryanair’s online ticketing system deliberately made it more difficult for travel agencies to buy flights than it is for ordinary customers. The case triggered a legal challenge by Ryanair.
The CCPC said the costs related to that action.
“These proceedings are ongoing and the High Court has reserved the matter of costs until its conclusion,” the CCPC said.
The rest of the legal bill was spread across a number of actions, the commission said.
“The remainder of the CCPC’s legal costs reflect increased enforcement activity. In 2024, the CCPC brought five successful prosecutions, conducted hundreds of inspections and searches and issued 47 fixed penalty notices and 23 compliance notices.”
“Searches of businesses active in the home alarm industry in February 2024 necessitated the CCPC bringing an application to the High Court. This investigation is ongoing,” the CCPC said.
The CCPC is responsible for enforcing competition law in Ireland and investigating anti-competitive practices such as price fixing and abuses of market dominance, while also policing breaches of consumer protection rules.
Alongside the rise in enforcement costs, the commission reported a broader increase in consultancy spending during the year.
Total consultancy costs came to €533,916 in 2024, up from €301,913 in 2023, according to the accounts.
The spending includes payments for external advice across several areas including legal, IT consultancy and strategy development, the report said.
Legal advice accounted for the largest portion of the consultancy bill, with €365,042 spent in 2024.
The accounts also show €59,305 was spent on IT consultancy, while €45,894 went towards strategy development work.
Overall spending at the regulator increased during the year as staffing and operational costs rose.
Staff costs climbed to €18.4m in 2024, compared with €15.3m in 2023, while operating expenses increased to €11m from €8.9m.
Despite the higher costs, the watchdog still recorded a surplus for the year.
The accounts show the CCPC reported a surplus after appropriations of €538,132 in 2024, down from €1.22m the previous year.
The commission’s financial position strengthened over the year, with net assets rising to €2.15m at the end of December 2024, compared with €1.63m a year earlier.
Cash and cash equivalents also increased significantly to €6.54m, up from €1.92m in 2023, according to the accounts.
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