Official letters from Ireland, explained in English

In Ireland, many deadlines are short — for example 21 days to appeal a social welfare decision, or 28 days to pay a fixed charge notice. Many offices also send letters to your online account (MyWelfare, myAccount or MyGovID), so check them often.

Offices that write to you

Revenue (Revenue Commissioners) — Tax office. The Irish tax office. It handles income tax, USC, PRSI, Local Property Tax (LPT) and tax refunds.
Department of Social Protection (Intreo) — Social welfare office. Pays social welfare, for example Jobseeker’s Allowance, Child Benefit, pensions and illness benefit. Intreo is its local office.
County or City Council — Local council. Your local authority. It handles social housing, HAP, motor tax offices, parking and some local charges.
Courts Service (District / Circuit Court) — Court. A court. Court papers are always important — never ignore them.
Sheriff / Revenue Sheriff — Sheriff. Collects debts after a court judgment or for Revenue. Fees are added to the debt.
Debt collection agency — Debt collector. A company that collects debts for others, or that bought an old loan or bill. Check that the debt is yours and the amount is right.
An Garda Síochána — Police. The Irish police. It sends fixed charge notices for speeding and other road offences, and other police letters.
Motor Tax / NDLS — Motor tax and driving licences. Motor tax is paid online or at your council’s motor tax office. Driving licences are issued by the NDLS.
TV Licence (An Post) — TV licence office. An Post collects the TV licence fee. You need one if you have a TV set at home.
Immigration Service Delivery (Department of Justice) — Immigration office. Decides on visas and permission to stay, and issues the Irish Residence Permit (IRP).
Electricity or gas supplier — Energy supplier. The company that sells you electricity or gas, for example Electric Ireland, Bord Gáis Energy or SSE Airtricity.
Uisce Éireann (Irish Water) — Water company. The national water company. Most homes don’t pay for water, but there can be letters about excess use, leaks or works.
Landlord / letting agent — Landlord. The owner of your home, or the agency that manages it. Most tenancies must be registered with the RTB.
HSE — Health service. The Health Service Executive. It runs public hospitals and health services, and medical cards.

Common kinds of letters

Enforcement notice (sheriff) — Enforcement notice. A sheriff or solicitor will collect the debt. Fees are added, and goods can be seized.
Civil summons / civil bill — Court case against you. Someone is suing you. You must tell the court you will defend it, usually within a short time, or they can get judgment without a hearing.
Reminder / final demand — Payment reminder. A payment is late. If you don’t pay, the next step is often court or a debt collector.
Overpayment letter — Request to pay money back. They say they paid you too much social welfare or another payment, and want the money back.
Fixed charge notice — Road traffic fine. A fine for speeding or another road offence, often with penalty points. Pay within 28 days, or 50% more in the next 28 days. If you don’t pay, you get a court summons.
Parking fine — Parking fine. A fine for parking. Council fines usually go up if you pay late; private car park charges are bills under a contract.
Statement of Liability / Notice of assessment — Tax bill or tax result. Revenue worked out your tax for a year. It shows a refund, or tax you still owe.
Social welfare decision — Social welfare decision. A decision on your social welfare claim — for example the amount, a change, or that it stops.
Refusal letter — Refusal. Your application was refused. The letter says if you can ask for a review or appeal, and by when.
Approval letter — Approval. Your application was approved. Check that names, dates and amounts are right.
Meeting / appointment letter — Appointment. You must come to a meeting or appointment, for example at Intreo, a hospital or an immigration office. Missing it can reduce your payment or delay your case.
Request for information — Request for documents. They need papers or information before they can decide, or to keep paying you.
Notice of termination — Notice to end the tenancy. Your landlord wants to end the tenancy. The notice must follow strict rules — many are not valid.
Energy bill — Energy bill. A bill for electricity or gas. It shows what you used and when to pay.

English office words

Revenue, myAccount, ROS, PPS number, Statement of Liability, underpayment, tax credits, USC, PRSI, Local Property Tax, phased payment arrangement, Tax Appeals Commission, Intreo, MyWelfare, Jobseeker’s Allowance, deciding officer, Social Welfare Appeals Office, review — see all 44 words.

Reply templates in English

Questions

How long do I have to answer an official letter in Ireland?

It depends on the letter. Look for words like “by”, “within”, “no later than” — they mark the deadline. In Ireland, many deadlines count from the date printed on the letter. When a deadline counts from when you received it, Briefly adds about 2 days for post — check the envelope or postmark if you are close to the deadline. To object, the letter usually names the way to do it (“review”, “appeal”, “dispute”, “objection”).

How does Briefly help with official letters in Ireland?

Take a photo of the letter with Briefly. It explains the letter in plain words, finds the deadline and the amount, tells you what to do and gives you a ready-made reply.

Is my letter uploaded anywhere?

No. Briefly runs completely in your browser. The letter never leaves your device, there is no account, and it works offline after the first visit.