The discharge event
Discharge normally happens automatically at 12 months. You receive confirmation from AiB.
On discharge, the debts covered by the sequestration are legally written off. Creditors cannot pursue them.
The Register of Insolvencies entry
Your entry is removed within a short period of discharge. This is a meaningful practical change — searchable public records of your insolvency end.
The credit file entry stays
The credit file entry with credit reference agencies stays for six years from the date of the award. Because sequestration runs 12 months, this means about five years of credit file impact after discharge.
Rebuilding credit
The pattern is similar to bankruptcy or Trust Deed recovery: credit-builder cards, controlled use, avoiding new defaults, letting time pass.
By year 3-4 post-discharge, some mainstream credit becomes available at higher rates. By year 6 (when the record drops off), the rebuild is usually complete.
Ongoing DCO payments
If a DCO was imposed, payments continue after discharge for up to the full four-year DCO period.
These payments are your responsibility even after discharge from the underlying debts.