EU Commission addresses ICCL complaint over DPC Commissioner appointment
19/11/2025 | RTE
In an update: RTE confirmed that the ICCL acknowledged it had mistaken a letter from the European Commission regarding the appointment of Niamh Sweeney, which in fact related to a separate ICCL complaint to Brussels.
The European Commission is seeking further information from the Irish government concerning the controversial appointment of Niamh Sweeney as the third commissioner at the Irish Data Protection Commission (DPC).
The move follows a complaint by the Irish Council for Civil Liberties (ICCL) challenging the appointment of Sweeney, claiming that she is an inappropriate choice given the DPC's mandate to regulate large technology companies, including Meta and Stripe.
In a letter to the ICCL, the Commission has asked Irish authorities for further information as part of an ‘EU Pilot’ dialogue, an informal exchange used to address matters of potential non-compliance with EU law.
In related news, Euronews reports that Dr Des Hogan, DPC Chair and Lead Commissioner, defended the appointment of Sweeney, stating he does not believe it presents a conflict of interest, citing her independent application process and prior roles as a journalist and government advisor. He added that Sweeney will recuse herself from any DPC decisions concerning Meta or Stripe.
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