Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Wednesday, 15 December 2021

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation

Companies Registration Office: Discussion

Mr. John Newham:

If I may add a further point, once upon a time in Ireland, it was easy to check an address.

You would note from the address that there was a factory there and you could see the business activity whereas in today’s economy, much business activity takes place within residential addresses. It is not unusual for multiple companies to be registered at a single address. It is not unusual for business activity to be registered at a residential address. What is unusual, and this is what the reports have brought to light, is for multiple companies to be registered at a residential address. That is what is novel in these circumstances and what has prompted the investigations by the CRO and the onward referrals to the ODCE.