Ireland's CRO restarts involuntary strike-off after a year-long pause
Ireland's Companies Registration Office suspended involuntary strike-offs in February 2024 because of IT problems, after some companies were wrongly struck off in early 2024 and later restored. It restarted on a limited basis in late 2024, publishing a first notice on 31 December 2024 aimed at companies with no recorded directors, under the no-directors ground, which the Companies (Corporate Governance, Enforcement and Regulatory Provisions) Act 2024 had just reworded.
The Companies Registration Office (CRO) restarted its involuntary strike-off process at the end of 2024, after suspending it for most of the year.
What happened
- The CRO restarted strike-offs in late 2023 after the pandemic pause, but problems arose with the process. Some companies struck off on 26 January and 2 February 2024 had their strike-off found invalid on legal advice and were restored to normal status.
- In February 2024 the CRO suspended all involuntary strike-offs because of complications with its IT system. In October 2024 it told stakeholders it would not restart until its systems were robust enough.
- It restarted on a limited basis in late 2024. A first notice dated 31 December 2024 targeted companies with no directors recorded on the register: unless a director was appointed and Form B10 filed, the company would be struck off after 28 days. This is the no-directors ground in section 726(f) of the Companies Act 2014, which the Companies (Corporate Governance, Enforcement and Regulatory Provisions) Act 2024 reworded from 3 December 2024. The same Act added three new grounds at the same time: not answering a Registrar notice about the registered office, having no secretary recorded, and failing to file beneficial ownership information with the RBO.
- The CRO's 2024 annual report says the first companies were struck off in early 2025.
Who is affected
Irish companies with late annual returns or missing officers. Strike-off stops the company existing and its assets pass to the State.
What to do
Check that each company has its directors correctly recorded and its annual returns up to date. Watch the CRO Gazette for notices naming your companies.