The National Adult Literacy Agency (NALA) welcomes the revised Consumer Protection Code that was published by the Central Bank of Ireland on 24 March 2025. This revised Code, which will not come into force until 24 March 2026, is a set of rules for companies providing financial services to make sure that you are protected.  

In June 2024, we made a submission to the consultation on the revised Consumer Protection Code. Like other organisations, we said the Code should make sure that companies: 

• communicate clearly; 
• communicate in accessible ways; and 
• are inclusive of customers in vulnerable circumstances.  

We also made specific points about plain language, financial literacy and digital literacy.  

We are glad to say that the Central Bank appear to have taken our submission on board when they were drafting the new Code. For example, guidance documents about the Code recommend companies use specific documents which we suggested. The guidance also reminds companies to take customers’ levels of digital literacy and financial literacy into account. The Code itself still requires companies to communicate in plain language. 

This new Code keeps and builds on important protections from the last Code. For example, companies now have to effectively inform you. This means it is not good enough to provide information in a long document that many people won’t find, read or understand. They have to try to reach customers where they are at. 

You now also have the right to nominate a Trusted Contact Person who the company can communicate with on your behalf. This might be helpful for some people with literacy needs. 

Not all of our recommendations are reflected in the revised Code. For example, we don’t support the decision to remove auto-renewal of some types of insurance (gadget, travel, dental and pet insurance), as this may leave adults with literacy needs at risk of accidentally letting their insurance lapse. 

We also want in-person and phone services (like local bank branches or customer helplines) to be protected, as they are so important for people with literacy needs. We will continue to advocate for this wherever we can and during the next year before the Code comes into force. 

To find out more about your rights under the Consumer Protection Code, you can read the Central Bank’s Explainer: What is the Consumer Protection Code 2025 and how can it protect me?