Central Credit Register in Ireland: Central Bank Guide for Lenders and Borrowers

The Central Credit Register in Ireland is a database run by the Central Bank of Ireland that holds information about loans, supplied by lenders and used when lenders assess new borrowing. If you work for a lender, you need to know when you must check it and what you must report. If you are a borrower, an individual or a business, you have rights to see your own report and to correct it. This guide explains who reports, what is held, who can see it and how to use your rights, drawing on the Central Bank, the Register's own website, the Credit Reporting Act 2013 and Citizens Information. Lenders' conduct obligations more broadly are covered in our guide to Central Bank consumer protection code training for staff.

What the Central Credit Register is

The Central Bank's explainer describes the Register as a centralised system that collects and securely stores information about loans, operating under the Credit Reporting Act 2013. The Central Bank also uses the Register to analyse the level and pattern of lending in the economy. That explainer shows only a 2026 copyright notice and no last-updated date, so treat it as general background.

The Register's own website says the Central Bank of Ireland is the data controller. It also says the Register matches the information it receives to build a complete, up-to-date credit report for each borrower, and that it does not score or grade reports. Only the lender decides whether to approve a loan.

The legal basis: the Credit Reporting Act 2013

The Credit Reporting Act 2013 (No. 45 of 2013) was enacted on 23 December 2013. According to the Irish Statute Book, its long title provides for the establishment, maintenance and operation of a central credit register, access to the information for assessing creditworthiness, and duties on parties to credit agreements. The contents list shows:

• Part 2 covers the Register itself, including the information it holds, retention, amendment and correction, providers' duties to supply information, access, permitted uses and notices of suspected impersonation.
• Part 3 sets duties on credit information providers, including verifying identity and accuracy and telling people about their rights and duties.
• Part 4 deals with levies and fees, and Part 5 with enforcement and offences.
• Part 6 includes the Central Bank's power to produce credit scores and anonymised information, and a prohibition on unauthorised disclosure.

The Irish Statute Book also carries a revised version of the Act, updated to 24 June 2026, so check it for later amendments that affect a particular point. This guide does not cite individual section numbers beyond the Parts above.

Who reports to the Register

The Register's website (last updated 15 May 2025) says lenders, which it calls credit information providers, include banks, asset finance houses, credit unions, licensed moneylenders, local authorities and NAMA, as well as firms that have acquired loan books from Irish financial institutions. It says more than 500 lenders submit information. Credit unions are among the lenders, and our guide to credit union regulation and governance covers their wider regulatory context.

The Register's website says lenders submit personal and credit information on existing loans of €500 or more, and information on loan applications of €2,000 or more. The Central Bank explainer says lenders submit information every month.

What is recorded, and what is not

Citizens Information (page last edited 20 May 2026) says the Register records, for each loan, the loan type, lender name, original amount, outstanding balance, number of overdue payments, and next payment date and amount. It also records personal details such as name, date of birth, addresses, PPSN and contact details. Coverage was introduced in phases from 2017.

The same page lists what is not included: utility bills, pawnbrokers' records, income and salary, Courts Service records, Insolvency Service records, deposit accounts and tax liabilities. It also says a COVID-19 payment break agreed with a lender will not be identified on the credit report. For people dealing with debt arrangements, our guide to personal insolvency and the Insolvency Service explains that separate process.

On retention, Citizens Information says records are kept for 5 years after the last payment on a loan. The Central Bank explainer and the Register's page on what is included do not state a retention period, so confirm the position in the Register's borrower area or the Act before relying on it.

Which borrowers are covered

The Register's page on what is included says it covers individuals and consumers, companies, sole traders and partnerships, and clubs and associations resident in the State when applying. It adds that from 1 February 2025 guarantors who provide guarantees or indemnities are also included. A loan is included if the borrower lives in the State when applying or if the agreement or application is governed by Irish law. For finance teams in Dublin businesses that borrow, this means the company's own borrowing can appear on a company credit report.

When lenders can look

The Register's website says a lender may access a report only when the borrower applies for a new loan, applies to restructure an existing loan, has arrears on an existing loan, or has breached a credit card or overdraft limit. No other party can access it without the borrower's written consent.

Citizens Information says lenders must check the Register for loans of €2,000 or more, and may check for smaller loans, restructuring, arrears or limit breaches. It says lenders do not need the borrower's consent to check. The Central Bank announced the lender enquiry requirement in a press release dated 18 September 2018, with effect from 30 September 2018. That release is dated, so rely on the current Register and Citizens Information pages for today's position.

Citizens Information also says that where a lender refuses personal consumer credit because of the report, it must tell the borrower. It gives the range as between €200 and €75,000 and says mortgages are not covered. These are figures from a single dated page and may change.

What a credit report shows

According to the Register's website, a report contains factual personal and credit information only, in four parts: personal information submitted by lenders, a summary of credit agreements, details of each loan including repayment history, and a record of each access called a footprint. The footprint shows when the report was accessed, by whom and for what type and purpose of enquiry.

How borrowers get and correct a report

• Requesting a report. The Register's website says individuals can request a report at any time, free of charge, subject to fair usage, online, by email or by post after identity verification. Citizens Information says you prove your identity with name, address and PPSN.
• Business borrowers. The Central Bank explainer says non-individual borrowers such as companies can request one free report per year, with a further charge of €6.35 per additional request in the same year. That page shows no date, and the Register's own page speaks of free access subject to fair usage without that distinction, so confirm the current position before relying on the fee.
• Correcting errors. You can apply to correct information that is inaccurate, incomplete or out of date.
• Explanatory statement. You can add an explanatory statement of under 200 words to your report. Citizens Information says it must be factual and relevant, and that lenders do not have to consider it.
• Impersonation. If you believe you have been impersonated, you can notify your lender or the Register and place a notice of suspected impersonation on your report.

Practical points for lenders and finance teams

Our suggestion, not a legal requirement:

• Lenders should keep a written procedure that links each type of enquiry to a permitted reason, and train staff on it.
• Build a routine to check the accuracy of data before monthly submission, because the Act places duties on providers about accuracy.
• Borrowers, including companies, may find it useful to request a report before a major funding application, so errors can be corrected first.
• Review the footprints on a report. They show who has looked and why.

What this guide does not cover

This guide does not cover lender reporting formats, technical submission rules, levy amounts or enforcement outcomes. Check the Register's website and the Central Bank for current requirements.

Learnsignal's offices are off Baggot Street in Dublin, and we offer in-person training from there. For current details, see our CPD pages.

Frequently asked questions

Does the Central Credit Register give a credit score?

The Register's website says it does not score or grade reports. Lenders make their own decisions under their own policies.

Can anyone look at my report?

No. Lenders can access it only in the situations listed above, and no one else can access it without your written consent, according to the Register's website.

Are company loans included?

Yes. The Register's page on what is included lists companies, sole traders, partnerships and certain clubs and associations as covered borrowers.

How do I fix a mistake on my report?

Apply to the Register to correct information that is inaccurate, incomplete or out of date. You can also contact the lender that supplied it.

Where is the law set out?

In the Credit Reporting Act 2013, on the Irish Statute Book. Check for later amendments.

If you are unsure how a particular enquiry or correction applies, contact the Register directly or take advice from your compliance adviser.