Internship Agreement (Ireland)

An Internship Agreement in Ireland sets the job duties, pay, hours, leave, and notice terms that bind employer and employee, as regulated by the Employment Equality Acts 1998-2015.

Irish employment law does not have a separate statutory category for interns. The legal status of an intern depends on the substance of the arrangement: if the intern performs work under the direction and control of the organisation and the arrangement has the characteristics of an employment relationship, the intern may be classified as an employee with full statutory employment rights, including the right to the national minimum wage under the National Minimum Wage Act 2000 (EUR 13.50 per hour from 1 January 2025; increasing to EUR 14.15 per hour from 1 January 2026 as announced in Budget 2025; with sub-minimum rates of 70% for employees aged under 18 and 80% for employees aged 18–19), written terms under the Terms of Employment (Information) Acts 1994–2014, rest periods and annual leave under the Organisation of Working Time Act 1997, and protection under the Unfair Dismissals Acts 1977–2015. The Automatic Enrolment Retirement Savings System Act 2024 will also apply to qualifying employees (aged 23–60 earning over EUR 20,000 per year), requiring mandatory pension contributions by the employer — an additional cost that does not arise where a placement is genuinely non-employment in character.

If the arrangement is a genuine educational or training placement where the primary purpose is the intern's learning and development, and the intern does not displace a paid employee, the intern may not be classified as an employee. However, the host organisation still has obligations under the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005, the GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018, and the general law of negligence.

The internship agreement serves to document the nature of the arrangement, the learning objectives, and the expectations of both parties. A well-drafted agreement can help to demonstrate that the placement is genuinely educational (if that is the intention) and can provide clarity about intellectual property, confidentiality, and the intern's obligations during the placement.

For interns who are enrolled in educational programmes, the placement may also be governed by the terms of the educational institution's work placement policy and any agreement between the institution and the host organisation. Many higher education institutions in Ireland — including universities operating under the Universities Act 1997, institutes of technology, and technological universities — have formal work placement programmes with standardised tripartite agreements between the educational institution, the host organisation, and the student. These institutional agreements typically set out the learning objectives, the insurance arrangements, the supervisory structure, and the basis on which academic credit is awarded. The host organisation should confirm that any institutional placement agreement is read alongside the internship agreement to avoid inconsistencies.

Under the Protection of Young Persons (Employment) Act 1996, specific restrictions apply to the employment of young persons under 18 years of age. The Act limits working hours, prohibits night work, and requires written notice to the young person's parent or guardian before employment commences. Host organisations engaging interns who are under 18 must comply with the 1996 Act and must also carry out a specific risk assessment under the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 to address the particular vulnerabilities of young workers. A well-drafted internship agreement will acknowledge these additional obligations where the intern is under 18.

The Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) has jurisdiction to investigate complaints by interns who claim that they have been misclassified as non-employees and denied statutory employment rights, including the minimum wage, annual leave entitlements, and rest periods. Organisations that engage unpaid interns who perform substantial work for the benefit of the organisation risk WRC complaints and retrospective liability for unpaid minimum wage and other statutory entitlements. The internship agreement should clearly reflect the genuine nature of the arrangement to minimise this risk.

An Irish Internship Agreement is needed whenever an organisation engages an individual for a work placement, internship, or work experience programme, whether paid or unpaid. The agreement provides a clear framework for the placement and helps to manage the legal risks associated with engaging interns.

You need an Internship Agreement when you are: hosting a university or college student for a work placement as part of their degree programme; offering a summer internship or graduate internship programme; providing work experience to a school leaver, transition year student, or recent graduate; engaging an individual for a short-term placement to gain exposure to a particular profession or industry; or participating in a government-funded internship or employment support programme such as the Intreo Graduate Internship Programme or other SOLAS or DSP-funded schemes.

The agreement is particularly important for managing the legal classification of the intern. If the arrangement is intended to be a genuine learning placement rather than employment, the agreement should clearly reflect this by emphasising the educational objectives, the supervisory and mentoring arrangements, and the absence of an obligation to perform productive work. If the arrangement constitutes employment, the agreement should comply with the Terms of Employment (Information) Acts 1994–2014 and all other applicable employment legislation.

The agreement also protects the host organisation's intellectual property and confidential information by including appropriate IP and confidentiality clauses.

For organisations with a student placement programme, having a standard internship agreement template confirms consistency across all placements and demonstrates to educational institutions and accreditation bodies that appropriate arrangements are in place. The agreement should be executed before the placement commences — it provides important evidence if a dispute arises about the nature of the arrangement or about any incident during the placement period.

From a practical standpoint, a written internship agreement also provides a clear framework for the intern's experience. It helps the intern understand what is expected of them, what support and supervision they will receive, whether any payment or expenses will be provided, and how any concerns or complaints will be handled. This transparency contributes to a positive internship experience and reflects well on the host organisation's approach to talent development.

For organisations engaging interns from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland, immigration considerations apply. Non-EEA nationals may require an employment permit under the Employment Permits Act 2006 if the internship constitutes employment, or a study or training visa if the placement is part of a formal educational programme. The host organisation should take advice from a solicitor or immigration adviser to confirm compliance with the Employment Permits Acts 2003–2014 and the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) requirements.

Under the Employment Equality Acts 1998-2015, enforced by the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC), parties to this agreement retain rights under the Unfair Dismissals Acts 1977-2015 and the Organisation of Working Time Act 1997. Section 8 of the Unfair Dismissals Act 1977 grants the WRC adjudication officers jurisdiction to hear claims. The Data Protection Act 2018, implementing GDPR in Ireland, governs personal data processed under this agreement. Revenue Commissioners require PAYE/PRSI compliance for all employment arrangements.

A thorough Irish Internship Agreement should contain several essential provisions to confirm legal clarity and protect both the host organisation and the intern.

The parties clause should identify the host organisation (by full legal name, address including Eircode, and company registration number where applicable) and the intern (by full name, address, and date of birth). Where the intern is a student enrolled at an educational institution, the institution's details and the intern's student registration number should also be stated.

The placement details clause should specify the start date and end date of the placement in DD/MM/YYYY format, the normal hours of attendance, the location of the placement (including the Eircode of the workplace), and the department or team in which the intern will be based.

The learning objectives clause should set out the specific learning outcomes that the placement is designed to achieve, the tasks and projects the intern will be involved in, and the skills and competencies the intern is expected to develop. This clause is important for demonstrating that the primary purpose of the placement is educational and not the performance of productive work for the benefit of the host organisation.

The supervision clause should identify the intern's named supervisor or mentor within the host organisation, the frequency of formal supervision or review meetings, the process for providing ongoing feedback on the intern's progress, and the process for raising concerns or complaints about the placement.

The remuneration and expenses clause should state clearly whether the intern will receive a stipend, salary, or expenses reimbursement (and if so, the amount in EUR and the payment dates), or whether the placement is unpaid. If the intern is paid, the payment must not be less than the national minimum wage under the National Minimum Wage Act 2000 if the intern is classified as an employee. If the placement is unpaid, the agreement should state the basis on which the intern is not classified as an employee and should reflect the genuine educational character of the arrangement.

The health and safety clause should address the host organisation's obligations under the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005, including: providing health and safety induction training on the first day of the placement; conducting a risk assessment of the intern's activities; providing appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) where required; and confirming the intern is not required to carry out tasks for which they have not received adequate training. For interns under 18 years of age, the specific obligations under the Protection of Young Persons (Employment) Act 1996 must be addressed.

The confidentiality clause should require the intern to keep confidential any proprietary, commercially sensitive, or personal information they access during the placement, both during and after the placement. The clause should specify the types of information covered and any exceptions (such as disclosures required by law).

The intellectual property clause should address the ownership of any IP created by the intern during the placement. If the host organisation requires ownership of the intern's work product, an express written assignment should be included. The clause should reference the Copyright and Related Rights Act 2000 and the Patents Act 1992 and should cover all categories of intellectual property.

The data protection clause should address GDPR and Data Protection Act 2018 compliance — including the basis on which the host organisation processes the intern's personal data, the types of data processed, the retention period, and the intern's rights as a data subject.

The termination clause should address the circumstances in which the placement may be ended early by either party — for example, due to the intern's failure to comply with the organisation's policies, a significant change in the host organisation's circumstances, or the intern's voluntary withdrawal from the placement. The notice period required for early termination should be specified. The forms-legal.com Internship Agreement (Ireland) template covers the mandatory elements under Employment Equality Acts 1998-2015.