Corporate Enforcement Authority

Summary

The CEA is Ireland's company law enforcement agency.

Separate legal personality and limited liability are privileges conferred by company law. By circumscribing financial risk through limiting company members’ personal exposure, entrepreneurial activity and economic growth are facilitated. In return for these privileges, company law sets down a framework within which:

- companies and their directors are expected to operate,

- certain transparency requirements must be complied with,

- certain protections are afforded to shareholders, creditors, and the wider public; and
- sanctions, both civil and criminal, are provided for in respect of certain non-compliance.

We supervise the corporate insolvency process and conduct financial and related investigations across SMEs, not-for-profits, large privates, and listed entities. We take civil and criminal enforcement action as required in order to promote and protect the public interest. By doing so, together with providing information and guidance on key actors’ rights and responsibilities under company law, our work promotes high standards of corporate behaviour.

Established by the Companies (Corporate Enforcement Authority) Act 2021, the CEA’s statutory mandate derives principally from the Companies Act 2014. The CEA is also conferred with statutory functions in respect of certain investment vehicles under the Irish Collective Asset-management Vehicles Act 2015.

Complaints, expressions of concern and protected disclosures regarding the behaviour of companies and/or their directors are handled in accordance with our statutory confidentiality obligations. Further information regarding how to submit a complaint, expression of concern or protected disclosure can be obtained on our website.