Malcolm Byrne (Wicklow-Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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148. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the measures his Department has in place, or plans to put in place, to protect the professional title of ‘accountant’; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52935/25]

Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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The title “accountant” is not currently restricted under Irish or European law. This means that individuals may use the title without being members of a recognised professional accountancy body or holding formal qualifications in accountancy. This position reflects the longstanding approach taken in Irish company law and competition policy.

There are certain accountancy-related services that may only be carried out by individuals who are members of a Prescribed Accountancy Body (PAB) and hold a current practising certificate, for example, acting as a liquidator in a company winding-up. Statutory audit services may only be performed by members of a Recognised Accountancy Body (RAB) authorised under Section 930 of the Companies Act 2014. Other accountancy services such as bookkeeping, payroll, and general financial advice, are not restricted under Irish or European law and may be provided by individuals regardless of professional membership.

Under the Companies Act 2014, oversight of the accountancy profession is provided through the Irish Auditing and Accounting Supervisory Authority (IAASA), which supervises the regulatory functions of the PABs. These bodies maintain professional standards, codes of ethics, and disciplinary procedures for their members. However, the Act does not define or restrict the use of the term “accountant”.

Since 2006, the Competition Authority, its successor the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC), my Department, and IAASA, have reviewed this issue several times, including by public consultation during the passage of the Companies Act 2014. In all cases, no evidence was found to justify recommending the introduction of legal protections to the term "accountant".

Overall, the previous Departmental-led investigations into term-protection requests found no evidence of public demand, or evidence of abuse of the term to justify the introduction of such a protection.

Any proposal to protect or restrict the term “accountant” may result in unregulated individuals adopting alternative titles, thereby arguably limiting the effectiveness of such a measure. An alternative approach could involve restricting the provision of specific accountancy-related services; however, defining and legislating for such services would be complex. Additionally, the introduction of such restrictions could also result in administrative and financial burdens on businesses, particularly small and medium enterprises. This impact would be felt by both the professionals providing the services – due to costs associated with membership of a PAB, including requirements such as professional indemnity insurance – and by the businesses availing of those services, as these costs would likely be passed on through higher fees.

At present, there are no legislative proposals to introduce restriction of the term “accountant”. However, the Department remains open to further engagement with stakeholders and will consider any new evidence that demonstrates a clear public interest in regulating the use of the term.