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Reply to a debt collector: prove the debt or it is statute-barred (Ireland)
Ireland · in English · for debtors
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For someone in Ireland chased by a debt collector or debt purchaser for a debt they do not recognise, dispute, or believe is more than six years old. The reply acknowledges nothing and offers nothing: it asks for proof — the agreement, a statement of account, the last payment and the transfer of the debt — or says the debt is statute-barred under section 11 of the Statute of Limitations 1957, and asks the firm to write only. MABS gives free, confidential help with debt. Send it by registered post (An Post) and keep a copy.
- Made for use in Ireland
- Last updated November 3, 2026
- Document in English
Published byDocMuse
When to use this document
- A debt collector in Ireland is chasing you for a debt you do not recognise.
- A company says it bought an old credit card debt of yours and wants payment.
- You got a letter about a debt from many years ago and think it is too old to chase.
- You want to reply to a debt collector in writing without admitting anything.
What you fill in
The details the document asks for.
- Sender
- Sender's address
- Town and county (e.g. Ennis, Co. Clare; or Dublin 8)
- Sender's Eircode
- Date
- Debt collector or debt buyer
- Debt collector's postal address
- Debt collector's reference
- Date of the debt collector's letter
- Total owed, gross (in euros, the figure only)
- Original creditor named by the debt collector
- Your position on the debt
Common questions
- When is a debt statute-barred in Ireland?
- Most debts on a loan, credit card, overdraft or bill become statute-barred six years after the creditor could first have sued, usually from the default (section 11 of the Statute of Limitations 1957), unless in that time you made a payment or signed a written acknowledgement of the debt, either of which starts the period again. Statute-barred is a defence to raise if you are sued, not a write-off. Debts secured on land and court judgments follow other periods.
- Where can I get free help with a debt collector in Ireland?
- The Money Advice and Budgeting Service (MABS) is free and confidential, by phone or at a local office, and can look at the debt with you before you reply. The Central Credit Register gives you your own credit report free. If the collector is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland, complain to it first and then, free, to the Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman.
- What if I receive a court summons about the debt instead of a letter?
- Then this reply is not enough. The summons says what you must do to defend the claim and by when; if you do nothing, judgment can be given against you. A statute-barred debt is a defence that must be raised in those proceedings. MABS and FLAC give free help, and a solicitor can act for you; take legal advice quickly.
How you can sign this document
- Print it and sign by hand. The signature lines in the document are left blank on purpose — sign on them in ink.
- Sign it yourself with a qualified electronic signature. If you already hold a QES — Evrotrust, B-Trust, StampIT, ZealiD or any qualified provider on the EU Trusted List, on a card, a USB token, in a mobile app or in the cloud — our signing guide explains step by step how to sign this exact file without invalidating it. Step-by-step help, and a way to check it worked
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