Over-the-Phone Interpreting (OPI)
Phone Interpreting for Dublin & Ireland
Per-minute on-demand or pre-booked. HSE and A&E, Garda station, community welfare, out-of-hours GP, solicitor consultations, business calls. Same-day connect for common Irish pairs.
- On-demand connect in 3–10 minutes for common languages
- HSE, A&E, community welfare and 24/7 coverage
- Garda station under S.I. 119/2019, courts, solicitors
- 25+ languages including Polish, Ukrainian, Arabic, Lithuanian
- NDA-bound. GDPR compliant. Not recorded unless you ask.
What Phone Interpreting Actually Is
Phone interpreting — Over-the-Phone Interpreting, OPI — is a live interpreter who joins your call as a third party by dialling in to your phone line, PSTN bridge, softphone or HSE clinic dial-in system. They render turn-by-turn between English and the target language while the call runs. It is the correct channel when audio is enough and you need speed: A&E triage, Garda station call-outs, out-of-hours HSE community welfare, or a Non-English-speaking parent phoning a Dublin school.
Where video adds body language, gestures and documents held up on camera, phone strips it down to voice. That is a feature, not a limit: connect time is faster, the caller doesn't need a smartphone or a stable video connection, and the interpreter can be added to any dial-in bridge without new software on either side. For consultations that need visual context (mental health assessments, safeguarding meetings, court remote hearings, complex clinical reviews) book video remote interpreting instead. For court, medical, business or another setting, see our full interpreting services.
Pricing
Two models: per-minute on-demand for urgent short calls, per-session for pre-booked calls.
Fixed rate confirmed before the session. No connection fees. B2B accounts invoiced on 30-day terms with round-number pricing and volume discounts on 100+ monthly minutes.
How It Works
Four steps from call in to interpreter on the line.
Call or Book
Call our direct line for on-demand, or use the form for pre-booked. Tell us the language, setting (A&E, Garda, GP, business), and whether it's urgent.
Match & Connect
On-demand: interpreter connected in 3–10 minutes for common languages. Pre-booked: fixed price and interpreter assigned within 4 working hours.
Bridge or Dial-In
Three-way call, HSE clinic bridge, PSTN conference dial-in, or your own softphone — the interpreter joins the setup you already use. Nothing to install.
Session & Invoice
Turn-by-turn through the call, no recording unless you specifically request it. Invoice after — pay by card, bank transfer, or standing purchase order for B2B accounts.
Where Phone Interpreting Fits Best
Four contexts where our phone interpreters are booked most often across Ireland.
HSE, A&E & Community Welfare
A&E triage, out-of-hours GP calls, HSE community welfare officer callouts, mental health crisis lines, 24/7 discharge planning phone conferences. Speed matters — connect in 3 to 10 minutes.
- A&E triage and admissions
- Out-of-hours GP calls
- HSE community welfare
- Mental health crisis lines
Garda Station & Courts
Garda custody interviews under S.I. 119/2019 when on-site is not practical, remote court hearings by phone link, incoming Garda calls to Non-English speakers, and probation service check-ins.
- Garda station attendance
- Incoming Garda calls
- Probation check-ins
- Remote court dial-in hearings
Business & Solicitor Consultations
Cross-border supplier calls, HR interviews, customer support escalations, solicitor client consultations by phone, compliance briefings. Pre-booked per session, no per-minute surprises.
- Supplier and procurement calls
- HR interviews and disciplinary calls
- Solicitor client consultations
- Customer support escalations
Local Authority & Schools
Housing and benefits reviews, Tusla case conferences, community welfare officer callouts, school parent contact for non-English speakers, welfare check-ins from Intreo.
- Housing and welfare reviews
- Tusla case conferences
- School parent contact
- Intreo welfare check-ins
Per-Minute vs Pre-Booked: Which Do You Need?
Two billing models exist for phone interpreting, and they suit different problems. Per-minute on-demand is the correct choice when you need an interpreter right now: an A&E patient with limited English, a Garda station call at 2am, a community welfare officer on a doorstep, an urgent HSE discharge call. You dial our direct line, we connect the first available interpreter in the language pair, and you are billed per minute of connect time. Minimum billable session is 5 minutes.
Pre-booked per-session is the correct choice when you can plan the call an hour or more ahead: a GP appointment on the Monday morning list, a solicitor client consultation on Wednesday, an HR interview on Friday, a supplier check-in with the Warsaw office next week. You book the specific interpreter for the specific time, and pay a flat session rate. No per-minute counting during the call.
What Our Clients Say
Feedback from HSE clinicians, solicitors and public service clients in Ireland.
"We use Tatkowski for out-of-hours HSE community welfare callouts. Ukrainian and Romanian connect times sit under 10 minutes even at 2am, which is what actually matters on a callout."
HSE community welfare team, Dublin
"Phone interpreting for Polish-speaking clients on solicitor consultations. Pre-booked per session, punctual joins, and the invoicing is round-number B2B. Zero admin friction."
Sole practitioner, Dublin 2 solicitor
"Reliable Arabic-language line for A&E triage. Connect time sits under 5 minutes in business hours, which is a big improvement on the previous provider."
Senior triage nurse, Dublin hospital
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between per-minute on-demand and pre-booked phone interpreting?
On-demand phone interpreting connects you to an interpreter within minutes and is billed per minute of connect time. Suits A&E triage, Garda station incoming calls, out-of-hours HSE community welfare, and any situation where the interpreter is needed right now. Pre-booked phone interpreting reserves a specific interpreter for a scheduled call and is billed per session. Suits GP consultations, solicitor client calls, HR interviews, and any situation where you can plan the call an hour or more ahead.
How quickly can you connect an interpreter on demand?
For the most common Irish language pairs (Polish, Ukrainian, Romanian, Russian, Arabic, Lithuanian), typical connect time is 3 to 10 minutes in business hours and up to 20 minutes out-of-hours. Rare languages (Tigrinya, Pashto, Rohingya) are queued and connected as availability allows. If speed is critical, mention it when placing the call — we prioritise A&E, Garda station and life-safety calls.
Do you cover the HSE and A&E?
Yes. Phone interpreting is the standard remote channel for A&E triage, out-of-hours GP calls, HSE community welfare, mental health crisis lines and 24/7 discharge planning where video is not practical. Interpreters follow HSE confidentiality standards, are trained in medical terminology, and understand triage-time-critical language.
Do you cover the Garda station?
Yes. Phone interpreting is used for Garda station attendance under the Custody Regulations 2019 (S.I. 119/2019) when an on-site interpreter cannot arrive in time, and for incoming Garda calls to Non-English-speaking parties. We follow Garda protocols on interpreter conduct and confidentiality during custody interviews.
When should we use phone rather than video interpreting?
Phone works when audio is enough — a short A&E triage question, a scheduled solicitor call, a supplier check-in. Video adds body language, gestures, and documents held up on camera — book video remote interpreting instead when you need visual context (mental health assessments, safeguarding, court remote hearings, complex clinical consultations).
Are calls recorded?
No. We do not record calls unless you specifically request it in writing before the call begins. Every interpreter signs an NDA. Documents shared during the call by phone description or read-out are not stored, screen-captured or logged by us. GDPR-compliant handling of identifying information throughout.
Can the interpreter join a three-way or multi-party call?
Yes. The interpreter can dial into any three-way call, multi-party conference call, or HSE clinic-specific system with dial-in bridging. Standard for solicitor client meetings, multi-party medical case conferences, and cross-office supplier calls. Just share the dial-in number or bridge details when booking.
Which languages are available on short notice?
Polish, Ukrainian, Romanian, Russian, Arabic, Lithuanian, Spanish, Portuguese, Mandarin, and French are our highest-availability languages for on-demand phone interpreting. Rarer languages are handled per booking with advance notice preferred. We hold a 25+ language interpreter pool covering the languages that Ireland's communities and public services actually use.
