Jurisdiction(s):
Ireland

Ireland: ADR overview—negotiation, mediation, construction adjudication, arbitration and conciliation; key procedures, enforcement and governing legislation (Mediation Act 2017, Construction Contracts Act 2013, Arbitration Act 2010)

Published by a Lexis+ Ireland - Dispute Resolution expert

Practice notes

This Practice Note outlines and introduces the principal forms of alternative dispute resolution used in Ireland—direct negotiation, mediation, adjudication, arbitration and conciliation—setting out their key characteristics and the main governing statutes: the Mediation Act 2017 (Ireland) (MA 2017 (IRL)), the Construction Contracts Act 2013 (Ireland) (CCA 2013 (IRL)) and the Arbitration Act 2010 (Ireland) (AA 2010 (IRL)).

Forms of alternative dispute resolution

ADR offers a voluntary route in place of litigation for resolving civil disputes. In Ireland, the leading methods—arbitration, mediation, direct negotiation and construction adjudication—will be familiar to practitioners across other common law jurisdictions. Conciliation, by contrast, although widely used domestically for both employment and construction disputes, will often be unfamiliar to those practising elsewhere. There is also limited uptake of other tools on the ADR spectrum, such as expert determination. Likewise, escalating dispute clauses directing parties to attempt conciliation and then, if required, proceed to arbitration or litigation, are uncommon other than in construction contracts.

Direct negotiation

Long before the heightened emphasis on ADR over...

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Arran Dowling-Hussey , FCIArb, Barrister

4-5 Gray’s Inn Square

Arran Dowling-Hussey is an experienced barrister, adjudicator, arbitrator and mediator. He is also called in London (2007) and Belfast (2006) has rights of audience in the Courts of the Abu Dhabi Global Market (“ADGM”) (2020) and at the Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC) Courts (2020). Arran is also based at 4-5 Gray’s Inn Square in London https://www.4-5.co.uk/barristers/profile/arran-dowling-hussey. His practice includes advocacy, drafting statements of case, contractual documents and advising on commercial, chancery, construction, alternative dispute resolution (ADR) and international matters. Arran is a member of a number of London based legal/construction and/or ADR committees including the Council of the Society of Construction Law, Board of Trustees of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and the committee of the Adjudication Society.Arran has been recognised for his work as counsel with a number of awards including from Finance Monthly. He is comfortable working for a range of clients from individual litigants to large...

Catherine Needham

The Bar of Ireland

Catherine Needham BL holds a MSc Business and Finance, the Barrister at Law Degree (The Honourable Society in Kings Inns), a Certificate in Commercial Contracts (The Law Society of Ireland), a Post Graduate Diploma in Construction Law and Contract Law (Trinity College Dublin), a Professional Diploma in Arbitration Law (UCD) and is a PhD (Law) Candidate. Catherine is a Junior Counsel practising in Commercial and Public Law, Media Law and Property Law and Construction Law. She has appeared before the Irish Supreme Court, the Court of Appeal and the High Court. She is a member of the Arbitration and Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Committee of the Bar of Ireland, the Construction Bar of Ireland, the Negotiation Committee of the Bar of Ireland, the Finance Committee of the Bar of Ireland and Co- Editor of The Bar Review. She is a committee member of The Society of...

Web page updated on 27/05/2026

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