Article
10 min read
How to Hire Using an Employer of Record in Ireland (2025 Edition)
Employer of record

Author
Ellie Merryweather
Last Update
June 27, 2025

Table of Contents
What is an Irish Employer of Record?
Top reasons to use an EOR in Ireland
How to hire in Ireland: Step-by-step guide
Employment compliance tasks an Employer of Record manages in Ireland
How much does an EOR in Ireland cost?
Which Ireland EOR should you choose?
Is Deel Employer of Record a strong choice for hiring in Ireland?
Hire employees in Ireland confidently with Deel Employer of Record
Key takeaways
- Setting up a Irish entity to hire local talent could take months and cost over €30,000. Using an Employer of Record (EOR) is faster, often more cost-effective, and helps mitigate costly compliance fines.
- An Irish Employer of Record covers PRSI contributions, PAYE withholding, and ensures GDPR compliance.
- Deel EOR owns its Irish entity for full control, supports hiring in 150+ countries, delivers transparent pricing, real-time compliance monitoring, and has top G2 ratings.
Hiring in Ireland unlocks access to skilled talent and market growth, but setting up a local entity is time-consuming and costly. You must navigate payroll complexities, pay related social insurance (PRSI), and comply with local laws, including sick leave, paid leave, and parental leave entitlements. Missing tax filings or notice periods can lead to fines and reputational damage.
An Employer of Record (EOR) in Ireland lets you bypass entity setup and shifts compliance risk to a trusted partner. The EOR becomes the formal employer, managing contracts, payroll, taxes, and statutory benefits. Deel’s global reach allows you to hire and pay employees in Ireland through our wholly-owned Irish entity. Our platform offers real-time compliance alerts, transparent pricing, and automated workflows, so you can focus on growing your team.
What is an Irish Employer of Record?
An Irish Employer of Record is an organisation that hires your talent in the country through its Irish entity so that you can skip the long and costly incorporation process and onboard new employees fast and compliantly. The EOR signs employment contracts, withholds payroll taxes and social security contributions, and manages statutory filings according to Irish labour laws.
This separation of legal and operational responsibilities shifts compliance liability from your company to the EOR. Audits, payroll errors, and labour disputes become the EOR’s responsibility. Deel’s wholly-owned Irish entity ensures all processes comply with GDPR data protection requirements, tax regulations, and local labour laws.
Deel’s platform streamlines contract creation, onboarding, payroll runs, and benefits management, enabling you to hire in Ireland quickly and compliantly without the pain of entity setup.
Top reasons to use an EOR in Ireland
Global companies choose an EOR to hire in Ireland because it removes the burden of entity setup and guarantees compliance with Irish labour laws.
- Eliminate entity setup delays: Forming a local entity can take 3–6 months and cost tens of thousands in legal and admin fees
- Ensure payroll accuracy and tax filings: Outsource Pay-As-You-Earn (PAYE) withholding and monthly RTI filings to avoid costly penalties
- Cover paying related social insurance (PRSI): Employer PRSI contributions range from 8.8% to 11.05% of gross salary
- Meet paid leave and parental leave entitlements
- Streamline pension auto-enrolment: Automatically enrol staff with a minimum 1.5% employer pension contribution
- Reduce misclassification risks: Avoid contractor vs. employee disputes and back-tax exposure with expert guidance.
- Leverage global employment platform: Use Deel to hire in 150+ countries, manage benefits, and automate background checks.
Continuous Compliance™
How to hire in Ireland: Step-by-step guide
Follow this 8-step checklist to onboard employees in Ireland quickly and compliantly with an EOR.
1. Choose an EOR with a wholly-owned Irish entity
Select an EOR provider in Ireland that owns its Irish entity to remove middlemen and ensure your employees’ files stay onshore. Deel’s wholly-owned entity guarantees compliance by mitigating third-party risk.
Tip: Verify entity ownership through public registry information.
2. Book a demo and verify social proof
Request a demo to see payroll runs, contract templates, and compliance dashboards in action. Check case studies and client testimonials for EOR services in Ireland. Scan reviews on G2 and Trustpilot, where Deel EOR holds a 4.8/5 average.
Tip: Request a customer reference in your industry to confirm Irish payroll accuracy and compliance.
Discover how Strada uses Deel to navigate the complex world of global payroll and hiring, all in one platform.
3. Request a transparent EOR quote
Obtain a detailed quote including gross salary, statutory social costs, income tax withholding, and the EOR’s flat fee. Deel’s transparent pricing avoids hidden markups on benefits or filings.
Tip: Compare costs before you expand—read our article EOR vs. Entity Costs: What’s More Affordable?
4. Submit a 12–24-month hiring plan
Provide your projected headcount and locations so the EOR can optimise payroll taxes, social contributions, and deadlines. This helps budget for statutory paid leave, sick pay, and parental leave entitlements.
Tip: Update your plan quarterly to reflect hiring or regulatory changes.
5. Create the employment contract in the platform
Use the EOR’s contract generator to draft agreements compliant with Irish probation rules and notice periods. Deel’s templates auto-populate salary, employee benefits, and data protection clauses.
Tip: Customise probation durations within legal limits for flexibility.
6. Confirm the candidate’s right to work
Verify work permits, work permit status, or EU residency before issuing an offer. Deel Immigration supports visa and work permit applications to speed up onboarding.
Tip: Store digital copies of work authorisations in the platform for audit readiness.
7. Run the onboarding workflow
With Deel EOR, every onboarding is adapted to local labour laws, supported by a dedicated onboarding manager. Within the platform, new hires can seamlessly verify identities and work-permit status, complete compliance documents and payroll information, and review and sign employment agreements.
Tip: Automate reminders for benefit opt-in deadlines to maximise employee satisfaction.
8. Maintain ongoing compliance
Leverage real-time alerts for changes in Irish labour laws, payroll tax updates, and social security rates. Deel Compliance Hub tracks filings and flags discrepancies before they become issues.
Tip: Schedule monthly reviews with your EOR account manager to stay ahead of regulatory shifts.
Deel Employer of Record
Employment compliance tasks an Employer of Record manages in Ireland
Your EOR provider in Ireland takes care of key compliance tasks and keeps you updated on any regulatory changes in real-time.
Category | Details |
---|---|
Statutory employer costs | Employers pay PRSI contributions ranging up to 11.05% of gross salary. Employers must also contribute at least 1.5% of salary to a pension scheme for eligible employees. |
Employment contracts & probation rules | Written statements must be provided on day one. Standard probation is 90 days, but it can reach 180 days. |
Pay and working hours | Standard working is Monday through Friday, 8 hours per day, 40 hours per week. The minimum wage for those over 20 years of age is €13.50 per hour. |
Payroll compliance | PAYE withholding is mandatory with real-time reporting (RTI) to Revenue for each pay cycle. Employers must retain payroll records for six years. |
Vacation and public holiday allowances | Employees are entitled to a minimum of 20 days of annual leave, plus 10 public holidays. |
Income taxes | Income tax is withheld through PAYE, with employers responsible for real-time reporting. Tax rates are progressive, between 20%-40% depending on income and personal circumstances. |
Expenses, allowances, and bonuses | To qualify as a business expense and be considered non-taxable, all costs incurred must be submitted with appropriate documentation. |
Maternity, paternity, parental, adoption & foster leave | Maternity leave is 26 weeks, and paternity leave is 2 weeks, both funded by PRSI. Parental leave up to 26 weeks can be taken unpaid if the child is under 12 years old. Adoption leave is up to 24 weeks, from the day the child is placed with the family. |
Sick leave, bereavement leave, and carer’s leave | Employees are entitled to 5 days of paid sick leave, at 70% of their regular salary. This is set to increase annually. Force Majeure leave is 3 days per year, and unpaid carer’s leave is 5 days. Employees are also entitled to bereavement leave, at 100% of their salary, with the duration at the employer’s discretion. |
Terminations and resignations | Statutory notice periods range from 1 week (under 2 years of service) to 8 weeks (over 15 years). Severance pay is required if terminating due to redundancy after more than 2 continuous years of employment. Fair dismissal must be based on valid grounds. |
Health & safety | Governed by the Health and Safety Authority. Most regulations fall under the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005. |
Misclassification risk | Courts have previously fined firms up to €200,000 for contractor misclassification. Back PRSI payments and interest may be ordered. |
Data protection & IP protection | GDPR governs employee data use. Employers must use standard contractual clauses for cross-border data transfers. IP created by employees typically belongs to the employer. |
Discover how Bardeen switched to Deel to master global hiring with a compliant EOR provider
As demand for Bardeen’s automation platform surged, the company had to expand its team— and the next critical hires were all based in Germany. Bringing those specialists on board, however, wasn’t as simple as sending an offer letter. Employing talent in Germany without a local legal entity meant navigating a maze of labor laws, payroll taxes, and statutory benefits. Bardeen needed a fast, compliant way to hire German employees without getting bogged down in logistics or regulatory risk.
“Remote was fine for a single hire, but once complexity crept in, we wanted a platform that moved as fast as our product. Deel had the depth we needed.” — Pascal Weinberger, CEO, Bardeen
How much does an EOR in Ireland cost?
Hiring in Ireland involves gross salary plus employer costs: PRSI at 8.8%–11.05%, pension contributions at a minimum of 1.5%, and PAYE taxes. Adding an EOR service fee gives you full clarity on the total outlay without entity setup or local payroll software costs.
Factor | Your own Ireland entity | Deel EOR |
---|---|---|
One-off costs | €30,916 | €0 |
Annual, recurring costs | €40,043 | €0 |
Deel Employer of Record service fee | N/A | (€6,183 / employee) |
Estimated total annual costs | €70,959 | €6,183 |
Time to first hire | 2 months | 1-2 business day(s) |
Deel’s flat fee covers payroll runs, statutory filings, and compliance monitoring. You avoid hidden markups and entity-maintenance overhead, freeing you to scale faster and more predictably.
Which Ireland EOR should you choose?
Evaluate potential EOR service providers in Ireland on these criteria:
- Entity ownership: Ensure the provider has a wholly-owned Irish entity to file locally and manage tax registrations directly.
- Compliance expertise: Look for real-time updates on payroll law changes, data protection, and labour-law amendments. Deel Compliance Hub and legal counsel support keep you ahead.
- Platform breadth: Choose an EOR that integrates hiring, onboarding, payroll, benefits, and performance in one system. Deel’s end-to-end platform lets you source candidates, run background checks, manage equity, and operate globally with one login.
Ready to streamline your Ireland expansion? Book a demo with Deel today and hire compliantly in 2025.
Is Deel Employer of Record a strong choice for hiring in Ireland?
Deel is a top EOR solution in Ireland, offering fast, compliant hiring without the hassle of entity setup. With a wholly-owned Irish entity, Deel ensures local payroll, tax, and statutory compliance are handled seamlessly.
- Trusted G2 leader recognised for ease of use and support
- Operates in 150+ countries, including a fully owned Ireland entity
- Eliminates months-long entity formation delays and costs
- Manages employer PRSI contributions and PAYE reporting
- Automates pension auto-enrolment
- Ensures compliance with Irish labour laws and GDPR protections
- Provides transparent, flat-fee pricing with no hidden markups
- Offers real-time compliance alerts via Deel Compliance Hub
- Supports onboarding, contracts, benefits, and payroll in one platform
- Reduces misclassification risks with expert local employment guidance
Deel’s Ireland EOR service lets you hire quickly and compliantly, so you can focus on growing your team and business.
Thanks to Deel, we get to hire local talent in any country where we want to expand long before we set up the entity there. Effectively, this gives us a head start.
—Luka Besling,
HR Manager at Revolut
See how Revolut streamlined employee relocation, with Deel Immigration and Deel EOR
Hire employees in Ireland confidently with Deel Employer of Record
See how fast you can hire in Ireland without entity setup headaches, with Deel. Our platform streamlines contracts, payroll, taxes, and statutory benefits, so your hires start on day one fully compliant.
With Deel’s transparent pricing, you get clear, upfront costs covering payroll, employer contributions, and our flat fee—no surprises. Speed up your Ireland hiring and scale globally with confidence. Book your 30-minute demo today.
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FAQs
How quickly can I onboard employees in Ireland using Deel?
Typically under one week, thanks to Deel’s wholly-owned Irish entity and automated workflows.
Do employees need local bank accounts?
Yes, employees must have an Irish bank account for payroll deposits; Deel assists with setup guidance.
What contract type does Deel provide?
Permanent employment contracts compliant with Irish law, including probation periods up to 6 months.
How is tax withholding managed?
Deel handles PAYE tax withholding and real-time reporting directly to Irish Revenue.
When are payroll deadlines?
Monthly payroll runs align with statutory deadlines; Deel manages all filings on your behalf.
What statutory benefits does Deel cover?
Annual leave (20 days), paid sick leave, parental leave up to 26 weeks, and pension auto-enrolment with minimum contributions.
Does Deel help with probation and notice periods?
Yes, contracts include standard probation terms and notice periods based on Irish employment law.
How does Deel reduce compliance risk?
By employing workers on its wholly-owned Irish entity, Deel assumes legal liability and ensures up-to-date compliance.
Can I scale hiring beyond Ireland with Deel?
Absolutely—Deel covers 150+ countries with the same transparent pricing and compliance assurance.
Is Deel’s pricing transparent?
Yes, all costs, including employer contributions and fees, are clearly outlined upfront with no hidden charges.
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About the author
Ellie Merryweather is a content marketing manager with a decade of experience in tech, leadership, startups, and the creative industries. A long-time remote worker, she's passionate about WFH productivity hacks and fostering company culture across globally distributed teams.