Drowning in debt in Ireland? MABS is free, the Protective Certificate stops creditor action for 70 days, and ISI fees are waived through 31 December 2026.

Call MABS first — 0818 07 2000

The single most important step in an Irish debt crisis is to call the MABS National Helpline on 0818 07 2000 (Mon-Fri 09:00-20:00). It is free, confidential, and independent of every bank, credit-union, and debt-collection agency. MABS is the State-funded gateway to every formal debt solution in Ireland. Do not pay a private debt-management firm before you have spoken to MABS.

• Free budget review. A MABS adviser will work through your income, essential outgoings, and total debt with you, and produce a written Standard Financial Statement (SFS) you can use with every creditor.
• Free creditor letters. MABS can write to your creditors on your behalf and request a hold while they review your situation. Most creditors recognise MABS correspondence and pause collection on receipt.
• Free referral into the formal solutions. If your debts fit DRN criteria, MABS Approved Intermediaries can apply directly for a DRN with the Insolvency Service of Ireland. For DSA or PIA, MABS will refer you to an authorised Personal Insolvency Practitioner (PIP) — many of whom take on cases pro bono via the Abhaile voucher scheme.
• Free mortgage-arrears help. MABS has Dedicated Mortgage Arrears (DMA) advisors specifically trained on the Abhaile scheme. If your mortgage is in arrears, ask for a DMA referral on the call.
• 60+ local offices. After the national triage you will usually be referred to a local MABS office (8 regional companies cover the whole of Ireland). The local meeting is free and is typically the start of the formal-solution process.

The national helpline number, 0818 07 2000, is a single-rate local-call number from any phone in Ireland.

The three Personal Insolvency Act 2012 solutions — DSA / DRN / PIA

The Personal Insolvency Act 2012 created three statutory debt solutions. Each is a court-supervised process administered by the Insolvency Service of Ireland (ISI). MABS will help you decide which one fits — you do not pick on your own. The ISI application fees are waived for all three until 31 December 2026.

• DRN — Debt Relief Notice. For people with unsecured debts up to €35,000 and very limited ability to pay. Three-year supervisory period during which you make no payment to qualifying creditors; at the end, the debts are written off. Applied for through a MABS Approved Intermediary (AI). No PIP needed.
• DSA — Debt Settlement Arrangement. For unsecured debts of any size where you can pay something but not everything. A Personal Insolvency Practitioner (PIP) drafts a proposal that pays creditors an agreed share over up to five years; at the end, the balance is written off. Creditors vote on the proposal; the ISI registers the outcome.
• PIA — Personal Insolvency Arrangement. For secured and unsecured debts, with a secured-debt cap of €4 million. A PIP drafts a proposal that restructures the mortgage and other secured debts and pays unsecured creditors an agreed share over up to six years (extendable to seven). Designed specifically to keep people in their family home where it is reasonable to do so.
• ISI fee waiver until 31 December 2026. The application fees for DSA, DRN, and PIA are waived for any application made on or before 31 December 2026. PIP / AI fees are separately funded through Abhaile vouchers where you qualify.

File through MABS — call 0818 07 2000 — or contact the ISI directly on 01 764 4200. Postal address: Block 2 Phoenix House, Conyngham Road, Dublin 8 D08 T3CK.

The Protective Certificate — Personal Insolvency Act 2012 s.95

The single most powerful early tool in the Personal Insolvency Act 2012 is the Protective Certificate (PC) under s.95. Once a PC is issued by the Circuit Court (or the High Court for larger matters), it operates as a statutory stay on creditor enforcement for 70 days. During the stay, no qualifying creditor can:

• Commence or continue legal proceedings against you for a covered debt.
• Enforce a judgment already obtained, including seeking an Instalment Order, Committal Order, or Attachment of Earnings Order.
• Repossess secured property (in a PIA matter), apply for a possession order, or progress an existing possession application.
• Contact you directly to demand payment outside of the PIP / AI process.
• Set off sums against accounts you hold with the same institution.

The 70-day stay is extendable by a further 40 days, and again by another 40 days on application to the court — giving up to 150 days of protection while the PIP / AI finalises the DSA, DRN, or PIA proposal. Breach of a Protective Certificate is contempt of court.

The application for a PC is made by your Approved Intermediary (for a DRN) or your Personal Insolvency Practitioner (for a DSA or PIA). You do not file it yourself. Start with MABS.

Abhaile — mortgage-arrears mediation (gateway via MABS)

Abhaile is the State-funded mortgage-arrears mediation scheme for homeowners in financial difficulty. The gateway is MABS — call 0818 07 2000 and ask for an Abhaile referral.

• Free PIP voucher. If you qualify, Abhaile issues a voucher that pays for a Personal Insolvency Practitioner to review your case, write to the lender, and (where appropriate) propose a PIA that restructures the mortgage. You pay nothing for the PIP's time.
• Free accountant voucher. Where the matter needs financial-statement work rather than a formal insolvency proposal, an accountant voucher pays for a chartered accountant to prepare the lender-facing documents.
• Free solicitor voucher. Where court proceedings (repossession, judgment) are already on foot or imminent, a solicitor voucher pays for legal advice and representation in the Circuit Court.
• Dedicated Mortgage Arrears (DMA) advisor. MABS has advisors specifically trained on Code of Conduct on Mortgage Arrears (CCMA) procedure and the lender appeals process. Ask for a DMA advisor on the MABS call.
• Court Mentor service. If you are already due in court on a repossession, a Court Mentor will accompany you at Circuit Court repossession lists nationwide.

Do not pay a private firm to do this work. Abhaile pays for it.

Emergency financial help — SVP 01 884 8200

MABS and ISI handle the formal debt structure. If you need help this week — for food, electricity, gas, school costs, or a utility bill that is about to disconnect — the Society of St Vincent de Paul (SVP) is the right first call. Phone 01 884 8200 (Mon-Fri 09:00-17:00, national office). Local SVP conferences also operate every day — search svp.ie for your nearest one.

• Confidential. SVP does not share your details with creditors, the Department of Social Protection, or any other agency.
• Non-judgmental. SVP's assistance is based on need, not on the reason for the financial difficulty.
• Practical help. Food vouchers, payment of a specific utility bill to prevent disconnection, school uniform and book costs, rent shortfall, and one-off emergency payments.
• Works alongside MABS. Most local MABS offices have an established relationship with the nearest SVP conference and can introduce you directly.

SOS hotlines

All the numbers below are free or local-rate to call from any phone in Ireland (including from a mobile in pay-as-you-go). Verified 15 May 2026 against official portals.

Wallet card — screenshot this

The text below fits on one phone screen. Screenshot it now and save it where you can find it without unlocking the app — even a paper printout in your wallet works. If a creditor calls or a court letter arrives, you will have the steps and the numbers in front of you without needing to search.

If you're in debt crisis in Ireland:
1. Call MABS 0818 07 2000 (Mon-Fri 9-8). Free.
2. ISI fees are waived for DSA, DRN, PIA until
   31 December 2026.
3. The Protective Certificate (Personal Insolvency
   Act 2012 s.95) stops creditor enforcement for 70 days.
4. For mortgage arrears: ask MABS about Abhaile.
5. For immediate food / utility help: SVP 01 884 8200.
6. Free legal advice: FLAC 1890 350 250.

Right now — what to do

1. Call MABS on 0818 07 2000 (Mon-Fri 09:00-20:00). Free. Ask for a budget review and, if creditors are threatening enforcement, ask explicitly about a Protective Certificate application.
2. Open every letter from creditors, banks, utility companies, and the courts. Bring them all to the MABS meeting — unopened envelopes are still binding.
3. Do not pay a private debt-management firm. MABS, ISI, and Abhaile do this work for free. Private firms charging up-front fees in advance of insolvency relief are a known scam vector.
4. If you are in mortgage arrears: ask MABS for an Abhaile referral. The PIP / accountant / solicitor vouchers cost you nothing.
5. If a creditor sues you in District or Circuit Court: call FLAC on 1890 350 250 and ask about the nearest free evening clinic. Bring the summons.
6. If you need food or utility help this week: call SVP on 01 884 8200 or contact your nearest SVP conference via svp.ie.
7. Take a screenshot of this page or save the hotline numbers in your contacts. Print the wallet card above.

After the MABS call — the Protective Certificate letter

Once MABS has triaged your case and a Protective Certificate is on the cards, you will want to put creditors on formal notice. The Commoner Law letter below is a $5 template designed to plug into the MABS / PIP / AI process. MABS, ISI, and Abhaile are always free and should always come first.

• Ireland MABS Protective Certificate Creditor Letter ($5) — drafts a formal notice citing Personal Insolvency Act 2012 s.95 and the ISI fee waiver, putting qualifying creditors on notice that a Protective Certificate application is pending and that enforcement action during the stay would be contempt of court.
• Contact Commoner Law — if a hotline number above no longer works, tell us so we can update this page.