Irish Companies Act 2014

The Irish Companies Act 2014 is an Act of the Parliament of Ireland which regulates companies incorporated under Irish company law.

Key extracts from The Irish Companies Act 2014

Extract – Directors – §128

(1) A company shall have at least one director.

(2) If default is made by a company in complying with subsection (1) for 28 consecutive days, the company and any officer of it who is in default shall be guilty of a category 3 offence.

Extract – Non-Resident Director – §137

(1) Subject to subsection (2) and section 140, one, at least, of the directors for the time being of a company shall be a person who is resident in an EEA state.

(2) Subsection (1) shall not apply in relation to a company if the company for the time being holds a bond, in the prescribed form, in force to the value of €25,000 and which provides that, in the event of a failure by the company to pay the whole or part of each (if any) fine and penalty specified in the Table to this section, there shall become payable under the bond to a person who is, under subsection (4), nominated for the purpose (the “nominated person’’) a sum of money for the following purpose.

(3) That purpose is the purpose of the sum being applied by the nominated person in discharging the whole or part, as the case may be, of the company’s liability in respect of any such fine or penalty (and any sum that becomes so payable shall be applied by the nominated person accordingly).

(4) The nomination referred to in subsection (2) shall be made—

  • (a) by the Registrar or the Revenue Commissioners, as appropriate; or
  • (b) in the case of failure to pay both a fine referred to in paragraph 1 of the Table to this section and a fine or penalty, or a fine and penalty, referred to in paragraph 2 of that Table, jointly by the Registrar and the Revenue Commissioners.

(5) The bond referred to in subsection (2) may be entered into and shall have effect according to its terms notwithstanding any rule of law whereby any agreement to insure or indemnify a person in respect of any punishment or liability imposed on him or her in relation to any offence or unlawful act committed by him or her is void or unenforceable.

(6) If subsection (1) is not complied with, the company concerned and any officer of it who is in default shall be guilty of a category 4 offence.

Extract – Company Name – §26

(1) The name of a company shall end with one of the following: — limited; — teoranta.

(2) The word “limited” may be abbreviated to “ltd.” (including that abbreviation in capitalised form) in any usage after the company’s registration by any person including the company.

(3) The word “teoranta” may be abbreviated to “teo.” (including that abbreviation in capitalised form) in any usage after the company’s registration by any person including the company.

(4) A company carrying on business under a name other than its corporate name shall register in the manner directed by law for the registration of business names but the use of the abbreviation set out in subsection (2) or (3) shall not of itself render such registration necessary.

(5) No company shall be registered on—

(a) its incorporation; or
(b) should such occur, its re-registration, merger or division, by a name which, in the opinion of the Registrar, is undesirable.

Extract – Registered Office – §50

(1) A company shall, at all times, have a registered office in the State to which all communications and notices may be addressed.

(2) Particulars of the situation of the company’s registered office shall be specified in the delivered pursuant to section 21(1)(a) prior to the incorporation of the company.

(3) Notice of any change in the situation of the registered office of a company shall be given in the prescribed form, within 14 days after the date of the change, to the Registrar who shall record that change.

(4) A company’s registered office may be constituted by a statement (contained in the statement or notice referred to in subsection (2) or (3)) to the effect that the office is care of a specified agent, being a company formed and registered under this Act, or an existing company, and which is approved for this purpose by the Registrar; where a registered office is constituted by those means, references in this Act to the situation of the company’s registered office shall be read accordingly.

Extract – Share Capital – §318

(1) The following information shall be given in the notes to the entity financial statements of a company with respect to the company’s share capital:

  • (a) the number and aggregate nominal value of the shares comprised in the authorised (if any) share capital;
  • (b) where shares of more than one class have been allotted, the number and aggregate nominal value of shares of each class allotted;
  • (c) in relation to each class of allotted share capital, the amount that has been called up on those shares and of this the amount that has been fully paid up at the financial year end date;
  • (d) an analysis of allotted and called up share capital by class between— (i) shares presented as share capital, and (ii) shares presented as a liability;

Copy of the full Irish Companies Act 2014