A CLEARER START
What does the DSS do?
The Decision Support Service (DSS) oversees decision-support arrangements under Ireland’s assisted decision-making framework. For an enduring power of attorney, usually called an EPA, it provides the application process and registers the arrangement. You choose someone you trust to make the decisions covered by your EPA if you become unable to make those decisions yourself.
Putting the arrangement in place while you can make these choices gives you the opportunity to discuss your preferences and select the person best placed to help. An EPA does not give someone immediate, unrestricted control over your affairs. Registration and bringing an EPA into effect are different stages.
The EPA process, step by step
- Talk through your plans. Consider whom you trust, which decisions they should cover and whether replacement attorneys would be helpful.
- Start the application through MyDSS. You and the attorneys you appoint need verified accounts. The application generates documents specific to your arrangement.
- Complete the professional and signing steps. These include a legal-practitioner statement, a capacity statement and the required declarations. Follow the DSS instructions on the order of signing, witnesses and notices.
- Submit the application. Upload the required documents and complete the remaining steps. The current registration fee is €30; a waiver may be available. Professional fees are separate.
- Keep the arrangement under review. Your attorney cannot act simply because the EPA has been registered. A further notification process applies before it comes into effect.
The DSS requires submission within three months of signing the donor and attorney declarations. Its current completion checklist explains the requirements in detail.
Can I buy an EPA form from IrishWills?
Our Power of Attorney Forms are ordinary powers of attorney. They do not replace the DSS process or create an EPA. The DSS’s published sample EPA forms are for illustration; your application generates the documents you need. This guide helps you reach the correct service without buying a document for the wrong purpose.
What about healthcare decisions?
Decisions to consent to or refuse healthcare treatment do not belong in an EPA. An advance healthcare directive is a separate way to record treatment decisions for a time when you cannot make them yourself. Our Living Will Form page explains that distinction and links to further guidance.
Where can I get help?
The DSS offers an EPA helpdesk and guidance for people making an application. A practising solicitor can also assist a client through MyDSS and record their authority to act. If you need professional help, discuss the scope and fees before engaging them. IrishWills.ie is independent of the DSS and does not currently offer an EPA application or registration service.