Key Considerations For Establishing A Summer Internship Programme

What You Need to Know

In this update, we will explain the key concepts which employers should be aware of when establishing summer internship programmes.

We will also summarise the obligations which employers should be aware of when hiring interns, as well as the potential penalties for employers where such obligations are breached.

Key Terms

There is no legal definition of an 'intern' within Irish employment law and depending on the nature of their role, interns will generally fall under the umbrella of 'fixed-term employees' from a legislative perspective.

A fixed term employee is an individual who has entered into a contract of employment where the end of the contract is determined by an objective condition such as arriving at a specific date.