How to Apply to the Injuries Resolution Board in Ireland: Step-by-Step (2026)

Summary: To apply to the Injuries Resolution Board (IRB), formerly known as the Personal Injuries Assessment Board (PIAB) until 2023, you submit a completed Form A with a medical report (Form B) and pay a €45 online fee at form.piab.ie (or €90 by post or email). Since 4 September 2023, the IRB won't accept an application without a medical report attached, so incomplete filings no longer pause the two-year Statute of Limitations clock. You'll also need the correct respondent, your Personal Public Service Number (PPSN) or passport, and a one-month Section 8 letter to the person at fault. See the Citizens Information guide and the official Claimant Guide (current edition).

Key IRB application numbers (Ireland, 2026)

€45

Online application fee at form.piab.ie

€90

Postal or email application fee

2 years

Statute of Limitations from accident or date of knowledge

1 month

Deadline for the Section 8 letter to the respondent

90 days

Respondent consent window after Section 50 issues

Since 4 Sept 2023

Form B medical report mandatory at submission

Since 12 Dec 2024

Motor-liability mediation available

13 Dec 2022

Personal Injuries Resolution Board Act 2022 signed into law

Verified against the IRB Claimant Guide and Citizens Information, April 2026.

How to apply to the Injuries Resolution Board in seven steps

1. Send the Section 8 letter to the person at fault within one month of the incident, and keep proof of delivery.
2. Get a completed medical report (Form B) from your GP or treating doctor, saved as a PDF under 5 MB.
3. Verify the correct respondent by looking up the registered legal name on the Companies Registration Office, or by identifying MIBI for an uninsured driver.
4. Register on the IRB portal at form.piab.ie (€45) or download the Form A PDF for the postal route (€90).
5. Complete every section of Form A, mirroring the injury description in your medical report and ticking the Section 7 mediation box if you want a faster route.
6. Attach Form B and pay the fee before final submission. The portal won't submit without both.
7. Wait for the Section 50 letter, which is the IRB's formal acknowledgement. That letter pauses the two-year Statute of Limitations clock and opens the 90-day respondent window.

Contents

Online fee: €45 via form.piab.ie with card payment.

Post or email fee: €90 to post@injuries.ie or P.O. Box 8, Clonakilty, Cork.

Medical report required: Since 4 September 2023, Form B must be attached at the point of application.

Clock-stop: The two-year limitation only pauses when the IRB issues a valid Section 50 acknowledgement.

Educational information only. This page is not legal advice. Every case turns on its own facts, and you should speak with a solicitor about your specific situation. Based on handling hundreds of IRB and former PIAB applications across Ireland, the observations below reflect practical patterns that catch self-represented claimants off guard.

What do you need before you apply?

Before you apply to the IRB, you need five things ready before you open the portal: a completed medical report (Form B), your PPSN or alternative identity document, the correct respondent's name and address, a valid debit or credit card for the €45 online fee, and a copy of your one-month Section 8 letter to the person at fault. Missing any of these will stop you mid-application or lead to rejection.

The official Claimant Guide ¹ lists the same core items, but it doesn't explain how the portal validates them in real time against Revenue and the Department of Social Protection. If your name on Form A differs from your tax record by even one character (a fada, a maiden name, a missing middle initial), the portal rejects the submission. That's a pattern we see repeatedly with self-represented applicants.

What this page doesn't cover. Deep detail on the medical report, the Section 8 letter, time limits, the documents checklist, accepting or rejecting an assessment, and what happens after IRB authorisation all have their own dedicated pages on this site. This page stays with the application step itself.

Pre-September 2023 vs post-September 2023: what actually changed

Many older guides online still describe the pre-2023 rules. The table below isolates what changed when the Personal Injuries Resolution Board Act 2022 commenced, because the shift affects every application you'll make today.

IRB application rules: the old regime vs the current regime since 4 September 2023

Element	Pre-4 September 2023	Current (4 September 2023 onwards)
Medical report at application	Optional. Could be furnished after submission.	Mandatory. Form B must be attached or the application is invalid 2.
Statute clock pause	Could be paused by a partial or placeholder filing.	Only pauses on a valid submission confirmed by Section 50 letter.
Mediation as a route	Not part of the statutory framework.	Available. Motor mediation live from 12 December 2024 6.
Body name	PIAB (Personal Injuries Assessment Board).	IRB (Injuries Resolution Board), since December 2023.
Respondent consent window	90 days to consent to assessment only.	90 days to consent to assessment or mediation.
Cooling-off on mediated settlement	Not applicable.	10-day cooling-off period before the agreement becomes binding.

How do you apply online through the IRB portal?

To apply online, go to form.piab.ie, register an account, and complete Form A in the structured sections for claimant details, accident description, injury list, respondent, and medical report upload. The online fee is €45, paid by debit or credit card at the end before final submission. The portal won't let you submit until every mandatory field passes validation and your Form B is attached. That's a hard gate under the rules that took effect on 4 September 2023 ².

Browser stability matters more than most guides suggest. The session times out during long medical report uploads, and the portal doesn't always save draft state cleanly if the tab closes. Start the application with a stable connection, your medical report saved as a PDF under 5 MB, and all respondent details copied to a notepad so you can paste them quickly.

Portal error messages and how to fix them

If the portal stops you at validation, the message is usually terse and unhelpful. The table below translates the most common rejection prompts into what the IRB actually wants and how to clear the error in minutes rather than hours.

IRB portal validation errors, root cause, and practical remediation

Error prompt or behaviour	What's triggering it	How to clear it
"PPSN and name do not match records"	Real-time check against Revenue / Department of Social Protection	Match exactly to a recent Revenue letter. Include fadas and middle names if the record has them.
Respondent company search returns no results	You're typing a trading or brand name	Find the registered legal name on the CRO register, then paste it verbatim.
"Medical report could not be uploaded"	File exceeds 5 MB or is not a PDF	Re-export as PDF below 5 MB. Avoid phone photos of a paper report.
Session expired before submission	Inactivity timeout during long upload	Prepare all documents and respondent details first, then complete the application in one sitting.
Payment declined at card step	3D-Secure authentication failed or card blocked for unfamiliar merchant	Retry with the same card after approving the transaction in your banking app, or try a second card.
"Duplicate application detected"	Earlier incomplete draft exists on your account	Return to your dashboard, delete or resume the draft, then restart the new submission.
Silent failure after final submit (no confirmation email)	Form submitted but acknowledgement email in spam folder	Check spam, then search for a claim reference on your IRB portal dashboard before resubmitting and paying again.

A detail that surprises claimants: the portal treats an abandoned draft as an open submission for a fortnight. If you start, stop, and restart without clearing the draft, the system may block the new attempt as a duplicate.

Paper and email applications: when and how

A paper or email application costs €90 and suits claimants who can't use a card online or who have complex multi-party filings that the portal handles awkwardly. Download the Form A PDF, complete it by hand or in the PDF, attach the medical report, and either post to Injuries Resolution Board, P.O. Box 8, Clonakilty, Cork, P85 YH98 or email the scanned bundle to post@injuries.ie. Payment is a cheque enclosed with postal filings, or an electronic payment arranged with the IRB for email filings ³.

Application methods compared: fee, payment type, and practical use

Method	Fee	Payment	Best for
Online portal (form.piab.ie)	€45	Debit or credit card	Most claimants. Fastest. Real-time validation.
Email (post@injuries.ie)	€90	Electronic payment	Complex multi-respondent filings or document-heavy cases.
Post (Clonakilty)	€90	Cheque	Claimants without card facilities or digital access.

Unlike in England and Wales, where there's no central assessment body for personal injury and claims go straight to pre-action protocols and the courts, in Ireland almost every injury claim (outside medical negligence) must first be submitted to the IRB under the Personal Injuries Assessment Board Act 2003, as amended by the Personal Injuries Resolution Board Act 2022 ⁴.

Form A field-by-field: where applications go wrong

Form A has around a dozen sections, and three of them produce the majority of rejections: claimant identification, injury description, and respondent. A fourth (the mediation question in Section 7) is new since December 2024 and is often skipped incorrectly by self-represented applicants.

Claimant identification (Sections 1 and 2)

Section 1 asks for your full legal name, address, and PPSN. The portal runs a real-time check against Revenue and welfare records. Non-residents without a PPSN can use a passport or national identity card number in the exception field, and Citizens Information confirms this substitution as valid ⁵. Section 2 is where you declare representation for minors or persons of unsound mind. If you're applying for a child, you're the "next friend", and you must enter your own PPSN separately from the child's.

Injury description (Section 5)

The injury description must be factual, clinical, and consistent with your medical report. Two sentences isn't enough. Four to six clear sentences that mirror the wording in Form B tend to pass without query. Avoid adjectives and avoid legal conclusions. Write what was injured, how it presented, how long you were out of work, and what treatment you received. A detail that catches many claimants off guard is that inconsistency between Form A and Form B is a common reason the respondent later disputes causation at assessment.

Respondent identification (Section 11)

Naming the wrong legal entity is the single most damaging error on Form A. Section 11 requires the exact registered name and address of the person or body at fault. A trading name, a store manager, or a shortened brand name isn't enough. See the respondent section below for the investigation steps.

Form A Section 7: the mediation choice (new since December 2024)

Form A includes a mediation question (numbered as Section 7 on the form, referred to as question 7 in the official Claimant Guide) that asks whether you want your claim considered for mediation instead of, or before, a standard assessment. Mediation for motor injury claims was rolled out from 12 December 2024 following workplace and public liability ⁶. It's a confidential, telephone-based process aimed at faster resolution, usually within three months, with no additional fee. The trade-off is that mediation only proceeds if the respondent agrees within their 90-day consent window, and a successful settlement has a 10-day cooling-off period during which either side can withdraw.

Most solicitors we work with recommend ticking mediation on straightforward liability cases where the main dispute is quantum, because it can cut six to nine months off the timeline without sacrificing any legal right. In Ireland's current backlog, that matters.

How do you identify the correct respondent?

To identify the correct respondent, you need three pieces of information: the legal name of the individual or company at fault, their registered address, and their insurer and policy number where known. Wrong respondent details are the number one reason applications are rejected or later withdrawn.

Road traffic accidents

For a road traffic collision, the respondent is usually the other driver, and their insurer should be named as well. Take the insurance disc details at the scene or from the Garda PULSE record. If the other driver is uninsured or untraced, the respondent is the Motor Insurers' Bureau of Ireland (MIBI). For a collision with a foreign-registered vehicle, MIBI still takes the claim through its Green Card Bureau and appoints a local nominated agent for the foreign insurer ⁷.

Workplace accidents

For an accident at work, you need the registered employer, which often isn't the trading name on your payslip. Search the CRO register for the exact limited company name. If a sub-contractor or site controller shared responsibility, name them both. Naming your line manager personally is almost always wrong and wastes the application fee.

Public liability

For a slip, trip, or fall in a public place, the respondent depends on who controlled the location at the time of the hazard. That can be the local authority for a footpath, a retailer for a shop floor, a landlord for a common area, or a facilities management company. Check your Section 8 letter delivery. If the letter wasn't responded to, that's a clue that you may have the wrong entity.

Legal-naming conventions that catch claimants out

Legal-naming conventions in Ireland are narrower than most claimants assume. Writing "HSE" or "Dublin Council" on Form A isn't enough and will be treated as defective. The reference table below captures the exact forms we see accepted in practice, grouped by common respondent type.

Commonly misnamed respondents, the incorrect short form, and the registered legal name the IRB expects

Respondent type	Common wrong name on Form A	Correct legal name
Health service	"HSE" or a named hospital	Health Service Executive, Dr Steevens' Hospital, Dublin 8, D08 W2A8
Dublin local authority	"Dublin Council" or "Dublin Corporation"	Dublin City Council, Civic Offices, Wood Quay, Dublin 8 (or the correct one of the four Dublin authorities)
Retailer (limited company)	Trading or shop-front name (e.g. a supermarket brand)	Registered limited company name as listed on the CRO register
Franchise or branded outlet	The brand name	The franchisee's limited company, not the master brand
Landlord of an apartment common area	Managing agent's name	The owners' management company registered for the estate (check the CRO)
Uninsured driver	The driver's personal name alone	The driver and the Motor Insurers' Bureau of Ireland (MIBI) 7
State body	The Department as a concept	The Minister for [Department], c/o Chief State Solicitor's Office, where required

The difference between an accepted and a rejected application often comes down to whether the respondent was named as a registered legal entity. A five-minute CRO lookup prevents a fortnight's delay.

What happens immediately after you submit?

After submission, the IRB reviews the application for completeness within roughly 7 to 14 working days. If valid, the IRB issues a Section 50 letter, which is the formal acknowledgement under the 2003 Act as amended. The Section 50 letter is the document that pauses the two-year Statute of Limitations clock ⁸. Until it arrives, the clock keeps running, which is why near-deadline applications are risky even if submitted in time.

The IRB then serves the respondent with notice and opens the 90-day consent window. During those 90 days, the respondent decides whether to consent to assessment, consent to mediation, or decline. Declining means the IRB issues an authorisation letter allowing you to proceed to court. What happens next is covered on the dedicated page for after authorisation.

What should you save as proof of submission?

Save seven things as proof of submission, because any of them may be requested later by the IRB, the respondent's insurer, or a court. The safest habit is to create one folder per claim on your own device and duplicate to cloud storage on the day you submit.

• Screenshot of the portal's final confirmation page with the claim reference number visible.
• The automated email receipt from post@injuries.ie.
• A copy of the completed Form A exactly as submitted, saved as a PDF from the portal's review step.
• The Form B medical report you uploaded.
• Your card payment receipt for the €45 fee, or cheque counterfoil for postal filings.
• Your original Section 8 letter with proof of delivery (posted, emailed, or hand-delivered).
• The Section 50 letter when it arrives, saved the day it is received.

From handling applications across motor, employer, and public liability tracks, we see these seven items needed at least once in roughly every second case that goes beyond simple assessment.

Can you correct an application after submission?

You can correct minor errors on a submitted application before the Section 50 letter issues, by contacting the IRB in writing with the correction and a brief explanation. That window is narrow and depends entirely on IRB discretion. After the Section 50 letter issues and the respondent has been served, corrections become much harder, because the respondent is now on notice of the claim as formally described.

The practical rule of thumb we apply is that typographical corrections (a misspelled street name, a transposed digit in a PPSN) are usually accepted early in the validation window. Substantive changes (adding a new injury, renaming the respondent, changing the accident date) are often treated as a fresh application requiring a fresh fee. Seeing this early is why The 6-Check Pre-Submission Review places heavy weight on respondent verification and injury-description parity before you click submit.

Should multiple injured people file joint or separate applications?

Each injured person must file a separate application to the IRB, even where several people were injured in the same incident. There is no joint application track. A family of four injured in a single crash files four Form A applications, each with its own €45 fee, its own Form B medical report, and its own PPSN. The IRB will often link the four at its internal case-management level so that one assessment team handles them together, but the filings themselves are independent.

Where a parent applies on behalf of an injured child as next friend, the adult's own application (if they were also injured) remains separate from the child's. Splitting them correctly at submission prevents later confusion about whose medical evidence supports which claim.

How does the statutory track (motor, employer, public liability) shape Form A?

Form A branches into three statutory tracks at Section 4, and the track you pick changes the evidence the IRB expects and the insurer who will respond. Getting the track wrong doesn't always invalidate the application, but it does route the claim to the wrong internal team and can delay acknowledgement by weeks.

IRB statutory tracks selected at Form A Section 4, with the expected respondent and evidence focus

Track	Pick when	Respondent usually	Evidence focus at application
Motor liability	Road traffic collision	Other driver + their insurer, or MIBI	Garda PULSE reference, insurance disc details, dashcam footage references
Employer liability	Accident arose out of and in the course of employment	Registered employer (CRO-verified)	Accident report book entry, safety statement context, HSA notification where relevant
Public liability	Injury on premises occupied or controlled by someone else	Occupier (retailer, local authority, landlord, event organiser)	Photos of hazard, maintenance records, witness details, relevant CCTV preservation request

A detail that catches people out: some incidents cross tracks (for example, a company driver hit while working is both motor and employer). In that case, file two separate applications naming both respondents, and let the IRB internally coordinate.

Track selector: which IRB track applies to your accident?

Tap the closest description. The result is educational guidance only and does not constitute legal advice.

Road traffic collision (car, van, bike, pedestrian) At work, in the course of employment On someone else's premises or in a public place During medical treatment by a clinician or hospital

Select the closest match above and your track guidance will appear here.

What if you live outside Ireland but were injured here?

You can apply to the Injuries Resolution Board from outside Ireland if the accident happened in Ireland. The legal basis sits in Irish law regardless of your residency, and your UK or EU address does not bar the application. Non-residents complete Form A with their home address, use a passport or national identity card number in place of a PPSN, and nominate an Irish correspondence address only if a solicitor has been instructed. The Green Card and Compensation Body mechanics through MIBI cover the insurer side where a foreign-registered vehicle is involved.

Unlike in England and Wales, where the claims process is court-driven from day one under the Limitation Act 1980, Irish injury claims (outside medical negligence) must start with the IRB step even for non-residents. Missing that step risks the respondent arguing the claim is not properly constituted when it reaches court later.

Special cases: minors, fatalities, and Garda claims

Special cases change the application route. Three categories come up most often: children under 18, fatal injury claims, and claims by members of An Garda Síochána for malicious injury on duty. Each has a different form or a different gateway, and getting this wrong delays the claim.

Minors (under 18)

A minor can't apply in their own name. A parent or legal guardian acts as the "next friend" and completes Form A on the child's behalf. The two-year Statute of Limitations doesn't start until the child turns 18, so the filing window is effectively longer. The child's medical report must still be attached. For more detail see the Citizens Information note on time limits for minors ⁹.

Fatal injury claims

A fatal injury claim isn't made on the standard Form A. The IRB publishes a dedicated Fatal Injuries Application Form that captures dependency details, Solatium Order, and coronial documentation. These claims shouldn't be attempted through the online portal.

Garda Compensation Scheme

Since the Garda Síochána (Compensation) Act 2022 commenced in April 2023, Garda malicious injury claims are assessed by the IRB. However, individual Gardai don't file Form A directly. The application goes first to the Garda Commissioner, who decides whether the injury was maliciously inflicted, and the Commissioner submits it to the IRB on the member's behalf ¹⁰.

What won't the IRB process?

The IRB won't process medical negligence claims, and attempts to submit them through the portal are rejected at intake. Medical negligence cases go directly to pre-action investigation and, where warranted, High Court proceedings. A full explanation sits on our medical negligence pages. If a claimant mistakenly files medical negligence through the IRB, the fee isn't refunded, which is a costly lesson.

Unlike the UK, where there's no equivalent assessment body and all personal injury claims proceed through pre-action protocol and the courts, Ireland's IRB also doesn't assess:

• Psychological-only claims where there's no associated physical injury, subject to narrow exceptions.
• Claims for wrongful arrest, defamation, or other torts outside personal injury.
• Product liability claims where the injury arose outside Ireland.
• Claims against State bodies in categories excluded by their own statutory regimes.

Why are applications rejected?

Applications are rejected for predictable reasons, and almost every rejection reason is avoidable with a 20-minute check before submission. The top rejection vectors we see are listed below with the fix for each.

Rejection reasons, the underlying rule, and the practical fix

Rejection reason	Rule behind it	Fix
No medical report attached	Mandatory since 4 September 2023	Obtain Form B from your GP before opening the portal.
PPSN doesn't match records	Real-time Revenue/DSP validation	Match the name exactly as it appears on a recent Revenue letter.
Wrong respondent	Statutory naming requirement	CRO search for companies. MIBI for uninsured. Council for footpaths.
Injury description too vague	Assessment can't proceed without specifics	Use the wording of your medical report in Form A Section 5.
Wrong scheme (medical negligence)	Excluded under the 2003 Act	Speak with a solicitor. These claims bypass the IRB.
Statute of Limitations expired	Two years from accident or date of knowledge	A rejected late filing can't be saved. Seek urgent advice.

One aspect the official guidance doesn't cover: if your application is rejected for a correctable reason, fixing it and resubmitting doesn't always restore your original submission date. In practice, the IRB may backdate in some circumstances, but that's discretionary and fragile if your two-year deadline is close. Always treat the first submission as if it's your only one.

What the IRB's own 2024 data says, and what we see in practice

The Injuries Resolution Board's 2024 Annual Report shows the Board received tens of thousands of applications across motor, employer, and public liability, with motor claims the largest category. The report also shows that rejected or withdrawn applications continue to form a meaningful share of intake. The headline figures tell only part of the story.

From our review of applications assisted in Ireland over the past 18 months, we see a clear ordering of rejection causes on first submission. The practitioner pattern below lines up with what the Claimant Guide identifies as common validation failures, but it puts the causes in frequency order rather than topical order.

Set against public IRB statistics, the practitioner view changes the reader's priorities. The Claimant Guide lists items in topical sequence, which reads as if each is equally weighted. In reality, the respondent and the injury description together account for the majority of preventable failures. That's why The 6-Check Pre-Submission Review places both of those items ahead of simpler identity and payment checks.

What if you're applying near the two-year deadline?

If your accident was more than 18 months ago, you're in high-risk territory. The two-year clock under the Statute of Limitations 1957, as amended, only stops on valid application, and you can't rely on a partial filing to hold the line the way older guides suggest. Pre-September-2023 advice that you could "file something and fix it later" isn't accurate any more ¹¹.

The timing matters more than most guides suggest. If you only recently became aware of your injury (the "date of knowledge" rule), the two years runs from that date rather than the accident date. That nuance belongs to the time limits page, but it's worth flagging at submission.

Should you apply yourself or with a solicitor?

Applying yourself is legally fine and can work for simple cases. The IRB explicitly supports self-represented claimants and publishes the guidance to do it. In practice, self-filing works best when liability is clear, injuries are modest, respondent identity is obvious, and the deadline isn't tight.

Applying with a solicitor is worth considering when liability is disputed, injuries are serious or lasting, multiple respondents may be liable, the accident involved an uninsured or foreign driver, or the two-year clock is close. A solicitor will usually also write the Section 8 letter, manage the medical report, and deal with the respondent's insurer during the 90-day window.

The 6-Check Pre-Submission Review

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What questions do claimants ask next?

Once the application is in, three questions follow almost every time. Each leads to a different part of the IRB cluster. It's worth noting, too, that Ireland's two-year Statute of Limitations is shorter than the three-year window in England and Wales under the Limitation Act 1980, so the pace of what comes next matters more here than UK guidance sometimes suggests.

Common questions about applying to the IRB

How much does it cost to apply to the Injuries Resolution Board?

The application fee is €45 for an online submission through the IRB portal, or €90 for a postal or email application. The fee is paid once per application, and isn't refunded if the claim is rejected or withdrawn.

• €45 online via card
• €90 by post or email
• Non-refundable on rejection

Why it matters: A rejected application means a fresh fee when you resubmit.

Next step: IRB fee page (2025) • IRB documents checklist

Do I need a medical report before I apply?

Yes. Since 4 September 2023, the IRB has required a completed medical report (Form B) to be attached at the point of application. An application without a medical report is treated as incomplete and isn't accepted.

• Form B signed by a treating doctor
• Attached as a PDF on the portal
• No Form B, no valid application

Why it matters: Incomplete filings no longer pause the two-year clock.

Next step: IRB medical report guide • Guidance Notes ²

What is the time limit to apply to the IRB?

The time limit is two years from the date of the accident, or from the date of knowledge if your injury wasn't immediately apparent. The clock only pauses when the IRB issues a valid Section 50 acknowledgement. Ireland's two-year window is shorter than the three-year window under the UK's Limitation Act 1980.

• Two years from accident date
• Or from date of knowledge
• Section 50 pauses the clock

Why it matters: Late filings are permanently statute-barred in most cases.

Next step: IRB time limits • Citizens Information ⁵

Do I need to send the Section 8 letter before I apply?

Yes. Under Section 8 of the Civil Liability and Courts Act 2004, you must write to the person at fault within one month of the incident, or risk losing some of your legal costs later. The letter is separate from Form A and should be retained with proof of delivery.

• Sent within 1 month of the accident
• Addressed to the respondent
• Kept with proof of delivery

Why it matters: Missing the Section 8 letter can affect costs recovery in court.

Next step: Section 8 letter guide

Can I apply online, or do I have to post the application?

You can apply online for €45, and most claimants now do. Paper filings by post or email cost €90 and are used for complex cases or where the claimant can't pay by card.

• Online is faster and cheaper
• Post to Clonakilty, Cork
• Email to post@injuries.ie

Why it matters: Online validation catches errors before submission.

Next step: IRB portal (see "How do you apply online" above) • Form A PDF ¹²

Does medical negligence go through the IRB?

No. Medical negligence claims are excluded from the IRB process under the Personal Injuries Assessment Board Act 2003. These claims proceed directly to pre-action investigation and, where warranted, High Court litigation.

• Excluded from IRB
• Goes direct to court route
• Different evidence and expert rules

Why it matters: Filing medical negligence through the IRB wastes the fee and time.

Next step: Medical negligence claims • Citizens Information on medical negligence (2025)

What if I don't have a PPSN?

Non-residents without a PPSN can use a passport number or national identity card number in the relevant field. Irish residents without a PPSN should apply for one through MyWelfare before filing. A mismatched or missing PPSN is a frequent rejection reason.

• Passport accepted for non-residents
• PPSN exact match required
• Fada and maiden names cause issues

Why it matters: Real-time validation blocks submission on mismatch.

Next step: Apply for a PPSN ¹³ • IRB documents checklist

What is mediation, and should I tick the box?

Mediation is a voluntary, confidential, telephone-based process that aims to resolve a claim in three months without a full assessment. It's free to the claimant, and both sides must agree for it to proceed. It's worth considering where liability isn't disputed.

• Voluntary for both sides
• Three-month target timeline
• 10-day cooling-off period

Why it matters: Can cut six to nine months off a standard assessment timeline.

Next step: IRB mediation guidance ⁶ • What is the IRB?

What if my application is rejected?

A rejection notice will state the reason, and in most cases the fix is straightforward (attach the missing report, correct the PPSN, or rename the respondent). A fresh €45 fee applies on resubmission. If the rejection reveals a Statute of Limitations problem, seek legal advice immediately.

• Review the reason stated
• Fix and resubmit with new fee
• Urgent advice if deadline is close

Why it matters: A rejected application that's close to the two-year mark can become statute-barred.

Next step: IRB time limits • Consultation request

Do I need a solicitor to apply to the IRB?

No. The IRB process is designed to be accessible to self-represented claimants, and many straightforward applications are made without legal help. However, solicitors are strongly recommended where liability is disputed, injuries are serious, the deadline is close, or an uninsured or foreign driver is involved.

• Not legally required
• Helpful in complex or disputed cases
• Critical near the two-year deadline

Why it matters: A small procedural mistake can cost a valid claim.

Next step: Consultation request • IRB Claimant Guide ¹

Glossary of IRB application terms

The Irish IRB application uses a compact set of terms that repeat across Form A, the Claimant Guide, and the portal. Understanding each one in plain English before you start saves time and avoids the small wording errors that lead to rejection.

Form A

The official IRB application form for an injury claim. Available online on the portal or as a PDF. Covers claimant details, accident details, injury description, respondent, and the mediation option.

Form B

The Medical Assessment Form, completed by your GP or treating doctor. Mandatory attachment at application since 4 September 2023.

Section 8 letter

The letter of claim required under Section 8 of the Civil Liability and Courts Act 2004, sent to the respondent within one month of the incident. Separate from Form A.

Section 50 letter

The IRB's formal written acknowledgement of a valid application. Issued under Section 50 of the Personal Injuries Assessment Board Act 2003. The letter pauses the two-year Statute of Limitations clock.

IRB authorisation

The authorisation letter the IRB issues if a respondent declines assessment or if the claim falls outside the IRB's remit. Issued under sections 14, 17, 32, 36 or 49 of the Personal Injuries Assessment Board Act 2003 depending on the circumstance. The authorisation lets the claimant proceed to court.

Section 6(1) application

The statutory reference for a standard injury application made under the 2003 Act. Form A is a Section 6(1) application in most cases.

Next friend

A parent or legal guardian who applies and acts on behalf of a minor (under 18) or a person lacking legal capacity. Must provide their own PPSN separately.

Respondent

The individual or legal entity the claimant says is liable for the injury. Must be named by registered legal name, not trading name.

Statute of Limitations

The two-year deadline for starting most personal injury claims in Ireland under the Statute of Limitations 1957 (as amended). Runs from the accident date or the date of knowledge.

PPSN

Personal Public Service Number. Ireland's individual tax/welfare identifier. Non-residents can substitute a passport number.

MIBI

The Motor Insurers' Bureau of Ireland. Acts as the respondent for uninsured or untraced drivers, and as the Green Card Bureau for foreign-registered vehicles.

Solatium

The statutory award for mental distress on a fatal injury claim, capped by statute and paid to the estate of the deceased for the benefit of statutory dependants.

Personal Injuries Guidelines

The Judicial Council's 2021 document (effective April 2021) that sets the framework for award amounts. Replaced the Book of Quantum.

About the author and how this page is written

Gary Matthews is the Principal Solicitor at Gary Matthews Solicitors, based at 3rd Floor, Ormond Building, 31-36 Ormond Quay Upper, Dublin D07, and holds Law Society of Ireland Practising Certificate No. S8178. The firm represents claimants across Ireland in personal injury matters, including applications to the Injuries Resolution Board, Section 8 letters under the Civil Liability and Courts Act 2004, and proceedings under the Personal Injuries Resolution Board Act 2022.

How this page is written. Each factual claim is checked against primary Irish sources: the Injuries Resolution Board itself (injuries.ie), Citizens Information, the Irish Statute Book, the Law Reform Commission's revised Acts, the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment (gov.ie), and the Judicial Council. The Last verified date above the References reflects the most recent review. Changes are logged in the changelog. Page content is written by the author named above and reviewed before publication.

Not legal advice. This page is educational guidance about the IRB application step. Individual cases turn on their own facts. For advice on your circumstances contact 01 903 6408 or arrange a consultation.

What has changed on this page

We update this page whenever the IRB changes its rules, fees, or guidance, and at least every 90 days to ensure the information remains current. Recent changes:

• 17 April 2026 — Reviewed and updated. All citations checked against current IRB guidance.
• 15 December 2025 — Updated to reflect the IRB mediation service extension to motor liability claims (12 December 2024).
• 1 October 2025 — Fee and form references refreshed.
• 1 April 2025 — First published.

Next scheduled review: 17 July 2026.

References

All sources are official Irish government, statutory, or judicial publications, or official guidance from the Injuries Resolution Board and Citizens Information. Last verified: 17 April 2026.

1. Injuries Resolution Board, Claimant Guide (PDF). [1]
2. Injuries Resolution Board, Application Guidance Notes from 4 September 2023 (PDF, 2023). [2]
3. Injuries Resolution Board, How to make a claim (official website, 2025). [3]
4. Oireachtas, Personal Injuries Resolution Board Act 2022 (Irish Statute Book, enacted 13 December 2022). [4]
5. Citizens Information Board, Injuries Resolution Board (updated November 2025). [5]
6. Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, Minister announces commencement of the IRB mediation service for motor liability claims (gov.ie press release, 11 December 2024). [6]
7. Motor Insurers' Bureau of Ireland, Vehicles registered outside the State (official website, 2025). [7]
8. Law Reform Commission, Personal Injuries Assessment Board Act 2003 (Revised) (Revised Acts, current as at 2025). [8]
9. Citizens Information Board, Time limits in civil law (updated 2025). [9]
10. Law Reform Commission, Garda Síochána (Compensation) Act 2022 (Revised) (Revised Acts, 2025). [10]
11. Law Reform Commission, Statute of Limitations 1957 (Revised), as amended (Revised Acts, 2025). [11]
12. Injuries Resolution Board, Form A Application Form (PDF, version 1.3, September 2024). [12]
13. Department of Social Protection, How to get a PPSN (gov.ie service page, 2025). [13]
14. Injuries Resolution Board, Annual Reports (official publications index, 2025). [14]

Additional resources

IRB online application portal (form.piab.ie)

Form A Application Form PDF

Judicial Council, Personal Injuries Guidelines 2021 (PDF)

Expand your knowledge

Injuries Resolution Board hub

What is the Injuries Resolution Board?

IRB documents checklist

IRB medical report guide

IRB time limits and the clock-stop rule

Section 8 letter explained

Accepting or rejecting an IRB assessment

What happens after IRB authorisation

IRB delays and what you can do

IRB awards and compensation

Next in this series

IRB Documents Checklist: What You Need to Attach to Form A

IRB Time Limits and the Clock-Stop Rule: How the Two-Year Window Actually Works

What Happens After IRB Authorisation: Proceedings, Settlement, and Court

Related guides: personal injury claims in Ireland • claim process overview • car accident claims • public liability claims