An organisation ignored your data request. Complain to the DPC.
Under GDPR Article 77 you can lodge a free complaint with the Data Protection Commission when an organisation misses the one-month deadline or refuses your request.
You asked an organisation for a copy of your personal data (a subject access request under GDPR Article 15) or to erase it (Article 17), and it ignored you, refused, withheld data, or demanded a fee. The organisation had one calendar month to respond (Article 12(3)). When it fails, you can escalate to the Data Protection Commission (DPC).
GDPR Article 77 gives every person the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority — in Ireland, the DPC. It is free. The DPC generally requires that you contacted the organisation first, which your stage-1 request did. The DPC assesses the complaint, attempts amicable resolution, and where needed opens an inquiry and issues a decision requiring compliance.
You also keep a right to an effective judicial remedy under GDPR Article 78. Most cases never get that far — a regulator-backed complaint usually moves an organisation that ignored a private request.
Legal mechanisms now in play
- GDPR Article 77 — the right to lodge a free complaint with the Data Protection Commission
- GDPR Article 15 / Article 17 — the underlying right of access / erasure the organisation breached
- GDPR Article 12(3) — the one-calendar-month response deadline the organisation missed
- Data Protection Act 2018 — the DPC's complaint-handling, inquiry, and enforcement powers
- GDPR Article 78 — the right to a judicial remedy if you disagree with the outcome
Data Protection Commission Complaint
Builds a structured complaint narrative for the DPC online form: the right you exercised, the organisation and the date of your request, exactly how it failed (no response, refusal, withheld data, or an unjustified fee), and what you ask the DPC to do — investigate and require compliance.
$19.00 ($9.00 if you bought our earlier letter — apply via the receipt URL or QR code in your first letter's PDF)
Start the Data Protection Commission Complaint →Frequently asked
Do I have to contact the organisation before complaining to the DPC?
Generally yes — the DPC asks that you raise the matter with the organisation first. Your stage-1 subject access or erasure request did exactly that, so you can point to it in the complaint.
Does a DPC complaint cost anything?
No. Raising a concern with the DPC is free, and the process is designed for individuals acting for themselves.
How long did the organisation have to respond to my request?
One calendar month from the date of your request, under GDPR Article 12(3). It can be extended by two further months for complex requests, but only if the organisation tells you within the first month. Silence past the deadline is a failure you can complain about.
What can the DPC do?
It assesses the complaint, tries amicable resolution, and where needed opens an inquiry and issues a decision that can require the organisation to comply. You also keep a right to a judicial remedy under GDPR Article 78.
How much does the next-step narrative cost?
$19 standalone, or $9 if you bought our original Irish subject access request — your receipt URL or QR code applies the discount automatically.