Léim ar aghaidh chuig an bpríomhábhar
Gnáthamharc

Company Registration

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 3 March 2021

Wednesday, 3 March 2021

Ceisteanna (13)

Neale Richmond

Ceist:

13. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if the Company Registration Office has taken steps to streamline and speed up works to allow common tasks such as company incorporation, updating information and ordering documents to happen without delay and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11032/21]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

The Registrar of Companies is a statutory role and the Registrar has administrative independence in the exercise of this function.

A major upgrade of the CRO IT system went live with effect from 16th December 2020. This is a significant modernisation project which greatly increases the range of documents that can be filed electronically, with resulting efficiency gains for both business and the CRO. The new CRO cloud-based IT platform is designed to provide improved and faster user experience for presenters and a fully paperless interaction with the CRO for certain transactions, including the most common ones carried out by companies such as the filing of annual returns and the changing of directors and their details. The introduction of a fully paperless system for these transactions provides certainty of delivery for companies. In addition, the new system allows for the "go live" of the new one-stage filing deadline of 56 days from a company's annual return date, over-hauling the previous two stage annual returns filing process.

I am aware that some issues have arisen as the system has bedded in, but have been assured that the majority of these are of a relatively minor nature and generally not impeding the filing of documents. I am also assured that any remaining issues continue to be addressed on a prioritised basis.

As for the issues referred to by the Deputy, applications to incorporate companies can be submitted under one of two schemes, operated by the CRO – Fé Phráinn (which is an expedited process) and the ordinary online process. The CRO target is to register applications under the former within 5 working days and the latter within 10 working days. Processing times have improved in the past week following further enhancement to the CRO ICT system. At present, registration is taking 8 and 9 working days respectively. In relation to registering changes to company details, such as changes to company director / secretary details, a backlog in this area has recently been cleared and progress is being closely monitored by the CRO with a view to taking further remedial action, if required. In situations where customers are seeking to order hard copy documents in the post, this can take a number of days due to lower levels of staff being present in the office due to COVID 19 level 5 restrictions. In general, online requests for electronic copies are being dealt with as they arise.

Barr
Roinn