Credit Guarantee Act 2012

1.

Interpretation.

1.— In this Act—

“applicable conditions” has the meaning assigned to it by subsection (3) of section 5;

F1[ asset credit facility agreement means an agreement (other than a loan agreement or a credit facility agreement) under which a participating finance provider agrees to provide to a qualifying enterprise credit in the form of tangible movable property upon

(a) such date or dates as may be specified in the agreement, or

(b) the happening of such event as may be so specified,

in consideration of that qualifying enterprise agreeing to make payments to the participating finance provider on such date or dates, or the happening of such event as may be so specified, and asset credit facility shall be construed accordingly;]

F1[cash price means, in relation to property provided pursuant to a qualifying finance agreement that is an asset credit facility agreement, the price that the participating enterprise would have been required to pay for the property if, at the time of the making of the agreement, that enterprise had elected to

(a) purchase the property, and

(b) pay for the property in cash;]

“contractor” has the meaning assigned to it by section 7;

F2[covid-19 credit guarantee scheme has the meaning assigned to it by section 4A(1);]

F1[credit amount means

(a) in the case of a qualifying finance agreement that is a loan agreement, the principal of moneys borrowed from the participating finance provider by a participating enterprise pursuant to the agreement,

(b) in the case of a qualifying finance agreement that is a credit facility agreement, the maximum amount (whether or not drawn down) of moneys agreed to be given or advanced by the participating finance provider to a participating enterprise, or to a third party nominated in that behalf by a participating enterprise, pursuant to the agreement,

(c) in the case of a qualifying finance agreement that is an asset credit facility agreement, the cash price (specified in the agreement) of the property provided by the participating finance provider to a participating enterprise pursuant to the agreement, and

(d) in the case of a qualifying finance agreement that is an invoice finance facility agreement, the maximum amount of moneys agreed to be given or advanced by the participating finance provider to a participating enterprise pursuant to the agreement, irrespective of whether that amount is given or advanced;]

F1[credit facility agreement means an agreement (other than a loan agreement) under which a participating finance provider agrees to give or advance to a qualifying enterprise, or to a third party nominated in that behalf by a qualifying enterprise, a sum or sums of money upon

(a) such date or dates as may be specified in the agreement, or

(b) the happening of such event as may be so specified,

in consideration of that qualifying enterprise agreeing to repay to the participating finance provider the said sum or sums of money so given or advanced, and interest or charges (if any) thereon, on such date or dates as may be so specified, and credit facility shall be construed accordingly;]

“credit guarantee scheme” means a scheme under section 5;

F3[]

F3[]

F1[finance agreement means

(a) a loan agreement,

(b) a credit facility agreement,

(c) an asset credit facility agreement, or

(d) an invoice finance facility agreement;]

F1[finance provider means a person who, in the ordinary course of business

(a) provides financial products to qualifying enterprises,

(b) arranges for the provision by other persons of financial products to qualifying enterprises, or

(c) provides facilities for the provision on credit of goods or services by the person to qualifying enterprises,

but does not include a person who is prohibited under the law of the State or any other state from engaging in any of the activities specified in the foregoing paragraphs, and references to the provision of a financial product shall be construed accordingly;]

F1[financial product means

(a) a loan,

(b) a credit facility,

(c) an asset credit facility, or

(d) an invoice finance facility,

provided to a qualifying enterprise under a finance agreement;]

F1[invoice finance facility agreement means an agreement under which a participating finance provider agrees to give or advance to a qualifying enterprise a sum or sums of money in consideration of that qualifying enterprise assigning to the participating finance provider the right to recover debts owed to that qualifying enterprise, and invoice finance facility shall be construed accordingly;]

F3[]

“loan agreement” means an agreement under which a F4[participating finance provider] agrees to give or advance to a qualifying enterprise a sum or sums of money upon—

(a) such date or dates as may be specified in the agreement, or

(b) the happening of such event as may be so specified,

in consideration of that qualifying enterprise agreeing to repay to the F4[participating finance provider] the principal of any sum or sums so given or advanced, and interest (if any) thereon, on such date or dates as may be so specified, but does not include an agreement to provide a facility commonly known as an overdraft facility F5[, credit card facility or credit line facility]) to a qualifying enterprise; and “loan” shall be construed accordingly;

“Minister” means the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation;

F3[]

F1[participating enterprise means a qualifying enterprise

(a) belonging to a class to which a credit guarantee scheme applies, and

(b) who has entered into a qualifying finance agreement with a participating finance provider;]

F1[participating finance provider shall be construed in accordance with section 2;]

F3[]

F1[qualifying finance agreement means a finance agreement

(a) in respect of which there has been compliance with the conditions specified in a credit guarantee scheme under subsection (4) of section 5,

(b) belonging to a class of finance agreement to which a credit guarantee scheme applies,

(c) that is made for a purpose that does not contravene a provision of a credit guarantee scheme to which paragraph (c) of that subsection applies, and

(d) that does not permit a finance provider to exercise his or her powers under the finance agreement in such manner as would result in

(i) the value of the financial product provided under the agreement exceeding the maximum value specified under that subsection,

(ii) the aggregate of the value of the financial products provided under a particular class of finance agreements with the qualifying enterprise concerned exceeding the maximum value so specified, or

(iii) the aggregate of the value of the financial products provided under all qualifying finance agreements with the qualifying enterprise concerned exceeding the maximum value specified under that subsection;]

“qualifying enterprise” shall be construed in accordance with section 3;

F3[]

F6["Ukraine credit guarantee scheme" has the meaning assigned to it by section 4B(1).]

Annotations

Amendments:

F1

Inserted (1.10.2016) by Credit Guarantee (Amendment) Act 2016 (1/2016), s. 3(a), S. I. No. 504 of 2016, subject to exclusions in s. 9.

F2

Inserted (11.08.2020) by Credit Guarantee (Amendment) Act 2020 (5/2020), s. 2, S.I. No. 303 of 2020.

F3

Deleted (1.10.2016) by Credit Guarantee (Amendment) Act 2016 (1/2016), s. 3(c), S.I. No. 504 of 2016, subject to exclusions in s. 9.

F4

Substituted (1.10.2016) by Credit Guarantee (Amendment) Act 2016 (1/2016), s. 3(b)(i), S.I. No. 504 of 2016, subject to exclusions in s. 9.

F5

Inserted (1.10.2016) by Credit Guarantee (Amendment) Act 2016 (1/2016), s. 3(b)(ii), S.I. No. 504 of 2016, subject to exclusions in s. 9.

F6

Inserted (8.12.2022) by Credit Guarantee (Amendment) Act 2022 (38/2022), s. 2, S.I. No. 642 of 2022