Debt Collectors in Ireland: Verify Debts and Stop Harassment

What counts as debt collector harassment in Ireland?

Harassment includes excessive or aggressive contact, threats, and misleading statements, and is prohibited by the Central Bank of Ireland’s Consumer Protection Code and, for mortgages, the Code of Conduct on Mortgage Arrears. Collectors also cannot disclose your debt to others, contact you at unreasonable times, or pretend to have legal powers they do not have.

• Unacceptable contact
  • Excessive calls, especially after you ask them to reduce frequency or to use writing only.
  • Contact at unreasonable times, typically outside 8am-9pm Monday-Saturday, or any time you have said is unsuitable.
  • Unsolicited personal visits, particularly without your prior agreement.
• Unlawful or misleading behavior
  • Threatening violence or using abusive language.
  • Claiming to be sheriff, garda, or a court official when they are not.
  • Threatening immediate seizure of goods or wage deductions without a court order.
• Privacy breaches
  • Contacting your employer, family, or neighbours about your debt (other than to ask for up-to-date contact details).
  • Leaving messages that reveal your debt to third parties.
• Key rules and authorities
  • Central Bank Consumer Protection Code 2012 for regulated lenders and agents.
  • Code of Conduct on Mortgage Arrears (CCMA) for home mortgage arrears.
  • Data Protection (GDPR) - your right to privacy and data accuracy, enforceable with the Data Protection Commission.
  • Harassment or threats can be criminal; report serious incidents to An Garda Siochana.

How do you stop debt collector harassment immediately?

Write to the collector to set communication rules, request that contact be in writing only, and require them to stop any unacceptable behavior. If they persist, lodge a formal complaint with the firm, escalate to the original creditor, and then to the Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman (for regulated lenders) or the Central Bank, as appropriate.

1. Set communication preferences in writing
   • State that you will only communicate in writing and that phone calls and visits must stop.
   • Provide a postal or email address for correspondence.
   • Send your letter by registered post or confirmed email and keep copies.
2. Keep a contemporaneous log
   • Note date, time, number used, who called, and what was said.
   • Save voicemails, texts, emails, and letters.
3. File a formal complaint
   • Address it to the firm’s complaints team. Under the Consumer Protection Code, they must acknowledge within 5 business days and aim to resolve within 40 business days.
   • Ask for written confirmation that they will comply with your contact preferences and outline remedial steps.
4. Escalate if needed
   • Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman (FSPO) for regulated financial service providers. Free, independent dispute resolution.
   • Central Bank of Ireland - report conduct by authorised firms or credit servicing firms.
   • Data Protection Commission - if your data was mishandled or disclosed.
   • An Garda Siochana - for threats or intimidation.

Template: cease-contact and complaint letter

Subject: Account [reference] - communication request and complaint

I do not consent to telephone calls or home visits. You must communicate with me in writing only to [postal/email address].

I dispute the alleged balance and request verification. Please provide: a copy of the original agreement, a full statement of account, a breakdown of interest and charges, and proof of your authority to collect (including any notice of assignment).

Your recent conduct is unacceptable: [briefly list calls/visits/dates]. Treat this as a complaint under the Consumer Protection Code. Confirm in writing within 5 business days that you will comply with my communication request and address the complaint. I do not admit liability for any debt.

Signed
[Name]
[Address]
[Date]

How can you verify a debt in Ireland before paying?

Request a verification pack in writing that includes the agreement, full statement of account, interest and charges breakdown, and proof of assignment or authority to collect. Review the documents for accuracy, unfair charges, and whether the debt is statute-barred before you pay or agree any plan.

• Ask for these documents
  • Copy of the signed credit agreement, terms and conditions, and any variations.
  • Full statement of account showing payments, interest, fees, and arrears calculations.
  • Default or arrears notices sent to you and any restructuring offers previously made.
  • If the debt was sold: written notice of assignment and the chain of title showing who now owns the debt and who is servicing it.
  • Collector’s authorisation if they are acting as agent for the owner.
• Check key issues
  • Amount correctness - compare to your records and bank statements.
  • Charges - query any fees or interest that do not match the contract or Irish law.
  • Identity - ensure the debt is yours and the personal details match.
  • Assignment - you should have received a notice of assignment when ownership changed; ask for it if missing.
• Statute of limitations
  • Most unsecured contract debts: 6-year limitation from the last payment or written acknowledgment (Statute of Limitations 1957 as amended).
  • Mortgage principal: typically 12 years; mortgage interest: 6 years.
  • Do not acknowledge the debt in writing or make a token payment until you are satisfied it is not statute-barred, as this can reset the clock.

Template: debt verification request

Subject: Verification request - Account [reference] - no admission of liability

Please provide: (1) the original agreement and T&Cs; (2) a full statement of account; (3) a breakdown of interest and charges; (4) copies of any default or arrears notices; (5) proof of assignment and your authority to collect.

Pending verification, communicate in writing only. I do not admit liability for any debt.

What can debt collectors legally do in Ireland and what can they not do?

They can contact you to seek payment, negotiate, and issue legal proceedings if necessary. They cannot harass you, mislead you about powers, discuss your debt with others, or seize goods or enter your home without a court order executed by the sheriff or county registrar.

How do court actions and enforcement work if you ignore a collector?

Collectors must sue you and obtain a court judgment before they can enforce payment. Without a court order, they cannot seize goods, attach earnings, or place a judgment mortgage on your property.

• Court venues by amount
  • District Court: up to 15,000 euro.
  • Circuit Court: typically over 15,000 euro and up to 75,000 euro.
  • High Court: above Circuit Court limits or complex cases.
• Typical steps
  1. Pre-action letter of claim.
  2. Issue and service of a Civil Bill or Claim Notice. You normally have a set number of days to enter an Appearance and Defence.
  3. Judgment by default if you do not respond, or hearing if you defend.
  4. Enforcement options after judgment: instalment orders and committal proceedings for non-payment of instalments, sheriff execution against goods, judgment mortgage on property, or attachment of earnings with court approval.
• Your options
  • Engage early and propose an affordable plan supported by a Standard Financial Statement.
  • Defend the claim if the amount is wrong, the debt is not yours, it is statute-barred, the assignment is defective, or charges are unlawful.
  • Seek advice from MABS, a solicitor, or a Personal Insolvency Practitioner if multiple debts are involved.

Who regulates debt collectors in Ireland and where do you complain?

The Central Bank of Ireland supervises regulated lenders, credit servicing firms, and debt management firms. Complaints about regulated financial services go to the firm first, then to the Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman if unresolved.

• Check authorisation
  • Central Bank of Ireland registers: credit servicing firms, retail credit firms, and debt management firms.
  • If a firm is not authorised and is collecting consumer credit, raise a red flag and report it.
• Complaint path
  1. Firm’s internal complaints process - acknowledge within 5 business days; final response within 40 business days under the Consumer Protection Code.
  2. Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman - free complaint if you remain dissatisfied or no resolution within 40 business days.
• Other escalation points
  • Data Protection Commission - privacy and data accuracy breaches.
  • An Garda Siochana - threats, intimidation, or criminal harassment.
  • Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) - general consumer rights guidance and reporting.

What if the debt is not yours or is out of time?

If the debt is not yours, demand immediate correction, stop contact, and proof of identity used. If it is statute-barred, assert that in writing and refuse payment; ask the collector to close their file and update records.

• Wrong person or identity theft
  • State clearly that the debt is not yours and provide any evidence you have.
  • Use your GDPR rights: demand rectification and erasure of inaccurate data.
  • Ask which data sources they used and insist they notify any credit reference agencies they have contacted.
• Statute-barred debts
  • For most unsecured debts, 6 years from last payment or written acknowledgment.
  • Write: “I assert this debt is statute-barred. I will not be making any payment. Do not contact me again except to confirm closure.”
  • If they persist, complain to the firm and the FSPO or Central Bank with your limitation assertion.

How do Irish mortgage and utility arrears rules affect collectors?

Mortgage lenders must follow the Code of Conduct on Mortgage Arrears and the Mortgage Arrears Resolution Process before legal action. Energy and telecoms providers have sector rules on arrears and disconnection that require engagement and reasonable repayment options.

• Mortgages - CCMA
  • Arrears Support Unit must engage with you and assess affordability using a Standard Financial Statement.
  • Limits on unsolicited contacts and requirements to treat you fairly and sympathetically.
  • Repossession requires court proceedings; lenders must show compliance with CCMA steps.
• Utilities and telecoms
  • Energy suppliers follow the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) Customer Charter on repayment plans and disconnections.
  • Telecoms providers follow ComReg consumer rules on billing disputes and disconnections.

How do insolvency and formal debt solutions stop collection activity?

Applying for a Personal Insolvency Arrangement (PIA) or Debt Settlement Arrangement (DSA) with a Personal Insolvency Practitioner can trigger a Protective Certificate that temporarily stops legal and enforcement action while a proposal is considered. Bankruptcy also stops most collection activity once adjudicated.

• Protective Certificate
  • Issued by the court on application by your PIP for DSA or PIA; typically lasts up to 70 days, extendable in certain cases.
  • Prevents creditors from starting or continuing legal proceedings during its term.
• Debt solutions overview
  • Debt Relief Notice (DRN): for low income, low assets, and qualifying debts up to a threshold; supervised by ISI through an Approved Intermediary.
  • Debt Settlement Arrangement (DSA): for unsecured debts; negotiated repayment over a set period with possible debt write-off at completion.
  • Personal Insolvency Arrangement (PIA): for both secured and unsecured debts; can restructure mortgages and other loans.
  • Bankruptcy: last resort in the High Court; most unsecured debts are written off, with the Official Assignee handling your estate.
• Where to start
  • Money Advice and Budgeting Service (MABS) - free, confidential budgeting help and referrals to PIPs or Approved Intermediaries.
  • Insolvency Service of Ireland (ISI) - official guidance on options and authorised practitioners.

What are typical costs and practical tools to manage collectors in Ireland?

Most protective steps are low cost or free, including MABS support and complaints to the FSPO. A solicitor’s letter can help where conduct is serious or litigation is threatened.

How do you negotiate a realistic repayment plan without inviting more pressure?

Offer an affordable plan based on a realistic budget, and make it conditional on verified balances and written terms. Use MABS or a PIP to prepare a Standard Financial Statement so the plan is credible and sustainable.

• Build your budget
  • List income and essential outgoings first; use reasonable living expense guidelines.
  • Calculate a surplus available for unsecured creditors.
• Make the offer in writing
  • Propose a monthly amount you can maintain for at least 6-12 months.
  • Ask for freeze or reduction of interest and charges while you comply.
  • State that payments do not admit liability where there is a remaining dispute.
• Get a written agreement
  • Insist on confirmation of the arrangement and how it will be reviewed.
  • Keep proof of every payment.

What documents and evidence should you keep to protect yourself?

Keep a complete paper trail of all contacts and payments. This evidence supports complaints, court defenses, and negotiation.

• Contact log with dates, times, caller details, and summaries.
• Copies of letters, emails, texts, voicemails, and any call recordings you legally make.
• Bank statements and receipts for payments made.
• Copies of agreements, statements, notices of assignment, and any settlement offers.
• Proof of delivery for registered post.

When should you hire a lawyer or expert?

Get expert help if you receive court papers, face a repossession threat, suspect the debt is not yours or is statute-barred, or if harassment persists after a formal complaint. Use MABS for budgeting and negotiation, a PIP for insolvency options, and a solicitor for legal defenses and injunctions if needed.

• Engage a solicitor when
  • You are served with a claim, judgment, or possession proceedings.
  • You have complex disputes about assignment, contractual terms, or unfair charges.
  • You need a cease-and-desist letter with legal citations or a court injunction.
• Engage a PIP or Approved Intermediary when
  • You have multiple debts and need a formal solution like a DSA or PIA.
  • You want the protection of a Protective Certificate while a proposal is assessed.
• Use MABS when
  • You need help preparing a Standard Financial Statement and negotiating affordable repayments.
  • You want free, impartial advice on your options.

What are the most common mistakes to avoid when dealing with Irish debt collectors?

Avoid admitting liability or making token payments before verification, agreeing to unrealistic plans, and ignoring legal documents. Do not rely on phone conversations alone or discard letters without keeping copies.

• Do not
  • Say “I owe” or make a payment if you think the debt may be statute-barred or incorrect.
  • Agree to amounts you cannot afford just to end calls.
  • Ignore a Claim Notice or Civil Bill; deadlines are short.
• Do
  • Communicate in writing, set boundaries, and verify the debt.
  • Use free supports and escalate complaints when rules are breached.
  • Document everything.

Next steps: how to take control this week

Follow this short action plan to stop pressure, verify your position, and choose a path forward.

1. Switch to writing only: send the cease-contact letter and start your contact log today.
2. Request verification: ask for the agreement, statement, and assignment proof. Mark your calendar to chase after 14 days.
3. Build a budget: complete a Standard Financial Statement with MABS support.
4. Choose a route: if the debt is valid, propose an affordable plan in writing; if it is disputed or out of time, send the appropriate dispute or limitation letter.
5. Escalate misconduct: file a formal complaint with the firm now; if unresolved after 40 business days or you get a poor response, lodge with the FSPO and notify the Central Bank.
6. If sued: contact a solicitor or MABS immediately, note response deadlines, and consider defenses or a court-supervised repayment plan.