Irish DPC owed over €4 billion in outstanding GDPR fines
13/01/2026 | The Irish Times
The Irish Data Protection Commission (DPC) is currently owed more than €4 billion in monetary penalties, with the vast majority remaining uncollected due to ongoing legal challenges. Despite levying €4.04 billion over the past six years, primarily against multinational technology firms, only €20 million has been successfully recovered.
The figures, released following a request under the Irish Freedom of Information Act 2014, highlight a significant gap between penalties issued and payments received.
- 2025: €530 million in fines issued vs €125,000 collected
- 2024: €652 million in fines issued vs €582,500 collected
- 2023: €1.55 billion in fines issued vs €815,000 collected
- 2022: €1 billion in fines issued vs €17 million collected
- 2021: €225 million in fines issued vs €800,000 collected
- 2020: €785,000 in fines issued vs €75,000 collected
The DPC clarified that Irish law prevents the collection of fines while they are subject to appeal, and that many of the cases are currently before the courts. Despite the delays, the regulator maintains that none of the outstanding fines are considered uncollectable.
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