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Prompt payment policy



Prompt payment procedures

We are committed to making every effort to pay our suppliers promptly. And you can help by ensuring that you provide:

  • Correct invoices
  • Accurate bank account details
  • By ensuring that your Tax Clearance status with the Irish Revenue Commissioners is up to date

For public sector contracts worth €10,000 (inclusive of VAT) or more within any 12-month period, the contractor (and agent or sub-contractor as appropriate) will be required to produce either a valid tax clearance certificate or a C2 certificate. This is a mandatory. You can find full details on tax clearance procedures on the Revenue website.


Prompt payment of accounts legislation

Payment of invoices is governed by the Prompt Payment of Accounts Act, 1997 as amended by the Statutory Instrument 580 of 2012, which took effect on 16 March 2013 and transposes EU Directive 2011/7/EU on Combating Late Payment in Commercial Transactions. It revoked the previous Statutory Instrument 388 of 2002.

The legislation allows that if the date or period for payment is not fixed in the contract, the creditor is entitled to interest for late payment upon the expiry of any of the following time-limits:

  • 30 calendar days following the date of receipt of the invoice or an equivalent request for payment
  • If the date of the receipt of the invoice or the equivalent request for payment is uncertain, 30 calendar days after the date of receipt of the goods or services
  • Public Authorities will have to pay as a general rule, within 30 days

Payment of interest cannot be waived by the supplier and must be included with the amount payable for the goods or services without the supplier demanding its payment.

Since 16 March 2013, the applicable reference rate (rate applied by the ECB) plus the statutory interest for late payments is 8%. Small amounts of interest for late payment can be charged. You can check the ECB rate on the Central Bank and Financial Services Authority of Ireland website or on the European Central Bank website.

There is no minimum interest payment applicable. In addition to receiving interest on late payment the supplier is also entitled to automatic compensation (without the need to issue a reminder) of a minimum of €40 if the invoice is less than €1,000. There is a scale of compensation detailed in the Schedule to the Statutory Instrument. The Schedule provides for the Amount of compensation payable under Regulation 9 as follows:

Not exceeding €1000 €40
Exceeding €1,000 but not exceeding €10,000 €70
Exceeding €10,000 €100

In addition, acceptance and verification procedure in public authorities to business (PA2B) must be provided by the contract. The maximum duration should not exceed 30 calendar days from the date of receipt of the goods/services unless otherwise expressly agreed in the contract and tender document and provided it is not grossly unfair to the creditor.


Invoice queries

We have 10 working days to return an incorrect invoice and we must enclose a written statement identifying the alleged defects that prevent payment being made. Following our acceptance of the corrected invoice, we will do our best to issue payment within 15 days.

The legislation does not oblige us to pay a supplier who has failed or refused to comply with a request to produce a tax clearance certificate and it expressly extends the statutory time limit for payment where there are delays in furnishing a tax clearance certificate. Also, the Act does not affect the deduction of withholding tax from any payment to a supplier.


15-day payment requirement

The Government introduced a further non-statutory requirement in June 2009 to reduce the payment period by Central Government Departments to their suppliers from 30 to 15 days. Every effort, consistent with proper financial procedures, is being made to ensure that all suppliers are paid within this timeframe.


Quarterly reports

We are obliged to publish quarterly statistical reports showing our performance in relation to prompt payments. Download these reports:

2009

Period: 1 July to 31 September 2009
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Period: 1 October to 31 December 2009
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2010

Period: 1 January 2010 to 31 March 2010
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Period: 1 July 2010 to 30 September 2010
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Period: 1 October 2010 to 31 December 2010
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2011

Period: 1 January 2011 to 31 March 2011
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Period: 1 April 2011 to 30 June 2011
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Period: 1 July to 30 September 2011
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Period: 1 October 2011 to 31 December 2011
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2012

1 January 2012 to 31 March 2012
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1 April to 30 June 2012
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1 July to 30 September 2012
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1 October to 31 December 2012
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2013

1 January 2013 to 31 March 2013
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1 April 2013 to 30 June 2013
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1 July 2013 to 30 September 2013
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1 October 2013 to 31 December 2013
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2014

1 January 2014 to 31 March 2014
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1 April 2014 to 30 June 2014
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1 July 2014 to 30 September 2014
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1 October 2014 to 31 December 2014
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2015

1 January 2015 to 31 March 2015
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1 April 2015 to 30 June 2015
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1 July 2015 to 30 September 2015
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1 October 2015 to 31 December 2015
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2016

1 January 2016 to 31 March 2016
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1 April 2016 to 30 June 2016
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1 July 2016 to 30 September 2016
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1 October 2016 to 31 December 2016
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2017

1 January 2017 to 31 March 2017
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1 April 2017 to 30 June 2017
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1 July 2017 to 30 September 2017
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1 October 2017 to 31 December 2017
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2018

1 January 2018 to 31 March 2018
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1 April 2018 to 30 June 2018
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1 July 2018 to 30 September 2018
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1 October 2018 to 31 December 2018
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2019

1 January 2019 to 31 March 2019
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1 April 2019 to 30 June 2019
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1 July to 30 September 2019
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1 October to 31 December 2019
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2020

01 January 2020 to 31 March 2020
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01 April 2020 to 30 June 2020
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01 July 2020 to 30 September 2020
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2021

01 January 2021 to 31 March 2021
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01 April 2021 to 30 June 2021
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01 July 2021 to 30 September 2021
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01 October 2021 to 31 December 2021
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2022

01 January 2022 to 31 March 2022
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01 April 2022 to 30 June 2022
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01 July 2022 to 30 September 2022
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01 October 2022 to 31 December 2022
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2023

Quarter 1 01 January 2023 to 31 March 2023
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Quarter 2 01 April 2023 to 30 June 2023
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Quarter 3 01 July 2023 to 30 September 2023
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Quarter 4 01 October 2023 to 31 December 2023
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2024

01 January 2024 to 31 March 2024
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01 April 2024 to 30 June 2024
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01 July 2024 to 30 September 2024
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1 October 2024 to 31 December 2024
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