The financial thresholds of the Small Companies Administrative Rescue Procedure (SCARP) have been increased, meaning that SCARP is now a potential option for a larger number of companies in Ireland.
SCARP, which was introduced in 2021, aims to provide a cost-effective restructuring option for viable but insolvent companies. It is available to small and micro companies as defined in the Companies Act and is not an option for larger companies, which must use other restructuring mechanisms.
On Wednesday 19 June 2024, the Irish Corporate Enforcement Authority ("CEA") published its first-ever annual report. The Annual Report covers the 18-month period from July 2022 (when it replaced and assumed the responsibilities of the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement) to 31 December 2023.
Supervision of corporate insolvency
The CEA has a statutory role in supervising the liquidation of insolvent companies and taking enforcement actions in respect of struck off insolvent companies.
The Small Company Administrative Rescue Process (SCARP) was first introduced on 7 December 2021, to provide a quicker and more affordable formal restructuring process to businesses in Ireland. SCARP allows businesses to restructure their debts by agreeing to a rescue plan with their creditors.
Domestic Procedures
The Irish Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment signed into law the European Union (Preventive Restructuring) Regulations 2022 on 29 July 2022. This is the first significant piece of legislation dealing with corporate rescue in Ireland since 1990, when the jurisdiction's examinership process was first codified.
Introduction
In the context of insolvency, the principle of "modified universalism" (Universalism) is defined by Lord Sumption in Singularis Holdings v Prince Waterhouse Coopers as:
In a recent trilogy of decisions concerning the high-profile insolvency of Jersey company Orb arl and its sole shareholder Gail Cochrane, the Royal Court of Jersey provided a clear endorsement of the capability of the Jersey insolvency regime to deal with complex cross-border insolvency matters. This update considers some of the salient points from the saga so far.
The three Royal Court decisions are as follows:
An application had been made by the Bank of Scotland Plc and the governor and company of the Bank of Ireland for a letter of request to be sent by the Royal Court of Jersey to the High Court of England and Wales in respect of four Jersey companies that were ultimate beneficial owners of English real estate.