Companies Act, 1990

PART III

Transactions Involving Directors

Preliminary

Interpretation of Part III .

25.—(1) In this Part, unless the context otherwise requires—

“credit transactions” has the meaning assigned to it by subsection (3);

“guarantee” includes indemnity;

“quasi-loan” has the meaning assigned to it by subsection (2);

“licensed bank” means the holder of a licence under section 9 of the Central Bank Act, 1971 .

(2) For the purposes of this Part—

(a) a quasi-loan is a transaction under which one party (“the creditor”) agrees to pay, or pays otherwise than in pursuance of an agreement, a sum for another (“the borrower”) or agrees to reimburse, or reimburses otherwise than in pursuance of an agreement, expenditure incurred by another party for another (“the borrower”)—

(i) on terms that the borrower (or a person on his behalf) will reimburse the creditor; or

(ii) in circumstances giving rise to a liability on the borrower to reimburse the creditor;

(b) any reference to the person to whom a quasi-loan is made is a reference to the borrower; and

(c) the liabilities of a borrower under a quasi-loan include the liabilities of any person who has agreed to reimburse the creditor on behalf of the borrower.

(3) For the purposes of this Part a credit transaction is a transaction under which one party (“the creditor”)—

(a) supplies any goods or sells any land under a hire-purchase agreement or conditional sale agreement;

(b) leases or licenses the use of land or hires goods in return for periodical payments;

(c) otherwise disposes of land or supplies goods or services on the understanding that payment (whether in a lump-sum or instalments or by way of periodical payments or otherwise) is to be deferred.

(4) For the purposes of this Part the value of a transaction or arrangement is—

(a) in the case of a loan, the principal of the loan;

(b) in the case of a quasi-loan, the amount, or maximum amount, which the person to whom the quasi-loan is made is liable to reimburse the creditor;

(c) in the case of a transaction or arrangement, other than a loan or quasi-loan or a transaction or arrangement within paragraph (d) or (e), the price which it is reasonable to expect could be obtained for the goods, land or services to which the transaction or arrangement relates if they had been supplied at the time the transaction or arrangement is entered into in the ordinary course of business and on the same terms (apart from price) as they have been supplied or are to be supplied under the transaction or arrangement in question;

(d) in the case of a guarantee or security, the amount guaranteed or secured;

(e) in the case of an arrangement to which section 31 (2) or 31 (3) applies the value of the transaction to which the arrangement relates less any amount by which the liabilities under the arrangement or transaction of the person for whom the transaction was made have been reduced.

(5) For the purposes of subsection (4), the value of a transaction or arrangement which is not capable of being expressed as a specific sum of money (because the amount of any liability arising under the transaction is unascertainable, or for any other reason) shall, whether or not any liability under the transaction has been reduced, be deemed to exceed £50,000.

(6) For the purposes of this Part, a transaction or arrangement is made for a person if—

(a) in the case of a loan or quasi-loan, it is made to him;

(b) in the case of a credit transaction, he is the person to whom goods or services are supplied, or land is sold or otherwise disposed of, under the transaction;

(c) in the case of a guarantee or security, it is entered into or provided in connection with a loan or quasi-loan made to him or a credit transaction made for him;

(d) in the case of an arrangement to which section 31 (2) or 31 (3) applies, the transaction to which the arrangement relates was made for him; and

(e) in the case of any other transaction or arrangement for the supply or transfer of goods, land or services (or any interest therein), he is the person to whom the goods, land or services (or the interest) are supplied or transferred.

(7) This Part, except sections 41 , 43 and 44 , does not apply to arrangements or transactions entered into before the commencement of this section but, for the purposes of determining whether an arrangement is one to which section 31 (2) or 31 (3) applies the transaction to which the arrangement relates shall, if it was entered into before the said commencement, be deemed to have been entered into thereafter.

(8) This Part shall have effect in relation to an arrangement or transaction whether governed by the law of the State or of another country.