Agencies · Ireland & Europe
Preparing an Ireland placement brief
Prepare an Ireland assignment brief that separates known facts from payroll, employment and cross-border questions needing specialist confirmation.
Freelancer SupermarketPublished 3 min read
Reviewed 17 September 2026. Recheck linked official guidance and assignment-specific requirements before relying on it.
An Ireland placement brief should describe the actual assignment before anyone recommends a payroll route. “Working in Ireland” can leave essential facts unanswered: where the work takes place, which entity engages the worker, whether the person is moving or commuting and how long the arrangement is expected to last.
Use the brief to collect facts and route questions to the relevant specialist. It is not a determination of tax residence, employment status, social security or permission to work. Those conclusions need the particular circumstances and current applicable rules.
Start with the assignment facts#
Record the client and contracting entities, work location, role, proposed dates, working pattern, travel expectations and currency of the commercial agreement. Distinguish the Republic of Ireland from Northern Ireland. If the role includes work in both, list the expected locations and dates rather than using a single country field.
Ask the worker to provide the information the appointed provider needs through its approved channel. Keep a record of what is confirmed, what is assumed and what remains unknown. Avoid collecting sensitive records in a general commercial brief when a simple status or reference is enough.
Build a question-and-owner table#
| Topic | Information to establish | Decision owner to confirm |
|---|---|---|
| Engagement | Contracting and employing parties | Commercial and employment advisers |
| Work pattern | Locations, dates and expected changes | Agency and client |
| Payroll | Proposed employer and processing arrangements | Payroll specialist |
| Registration | Required employer and employee steps | Appointed provider and relevant party |
| Cross-border position | Facts requiring tax or social-security review | Qualified specialist |
| Support | Worker query route and escalation contacts | Agency and provider |
Revenue's guidance on hiring an employee is the official starting point for Irish employer registration steps. Its payroll-submission guidance describes employee information requirements. Use the current instructions for the chosen arrangement rather than copying UK onboarding fields and assuming they are sufficient.
Example: the location changes after the initial brief#
Suppose a proposed Dublin assignment initially involves work at one site. The client later asks for regular work in another country. In this illustrative example, the agency versions the brief, records the new pattern and returns the affected questions to the payroll and cross-border specialists.
The original recommendation should not be treated as covering the changed facts automatically. Record the revised decision, its scope and the people who need to know before the new pattern begins.
Agree readiness and first-pay checks#
Before the start, confirm that the responsible parties have completed the required steps and that unresolved questions have an explicit decision owner. Record the pay calendar, timesheet route, worker contact and first-run review. Explain where a worker can ask questions about the documents they receive.
After the first cycle, check that the assignment information, payroll output and agency billing references agree. Escalate discrepancies through the agreed route rather than asking the worker to navigate several organisations without a lead contact.
Read placing contractors in Ireland: payroll routes for context. Bring the completed fact brief to our Ireland and Europe service so the discussion starts with the actual placement and the questions needing specialist input.