Personal Insolvency Act 2012

94.

Consideration by Insolvency Service of application for protective certificate.

94.— (1) In its consideration of an application under section 93 the Insolvency Service shall be entitled to request any further information it requires from the debtor or personal insolvency practitioner and to defer further consideration of the application until such information is furnished to it.

(2) Where a debtor or personal insolvency practitioner fails to provide the information requested by the Insolvency Service under subsection (1) within 14 days or such longer period as the Insolvency Service may permit the application shall be deemed to be withdrawn.

(3) Subject to subsection (4), in considering the application for a protective certificate, the Insolvency Service shall make such enquiries as it considers necessary to satisfy itself:

(a) that the personal insolvency practitioner is a person entitled to act as a personal insolvency practitioner;

(b) having regard to the documents which are required to accompany the application for a protective certificate—

(i) that the debtor satisfies the eligibility criteria for a Personal Insolvency Arrangement specified in section 91; and

(ii) the application does not appear to be frivolous or an attempt to frustrate the efforts of creditors to recover debts due to them.

(4) Subject to subsections (5) to (7), for the purposes of subsection (3) the Insolvency Service shall be entitled to presume that the debtor satisfies the eligibility criteria for a Personal Insolvency Arrangement specified in section 91 if the documents required to be lodged with the Insolvency Service have been so lodged and the Insolvency Service has no reason to believe that the information supplied in or in support of the application for a protective certificate is incomplete or inaccurate.

(5) The Insolvency Service may make such enquiries as it considers necessary to verify the completeness or accuracy of any matter referred to in the Prescribed Financial Statement of the debtor or in relation to the assets, liabilities, income or expenditure of the debtor.

(6) Without prejudice to the generality of subsection (5) the matters in respect of which the Insolvency Service may make an enquiry include the following—

(a) particulars relating to bank accounts, securities or other accounts held, solely or jointly, by or for the benefit of the debtor with financial institutions or financial intermediaries in the State or abroad;

(b) particulars relating to assets of the debtor and the value of such assets;

(c) particulars of the liabilities of the debtor;

(d) the employment and income of the debtor;

(e) payments received by the debtor from the Department of Social Protection or other Departments of State or other State bodies or agencies and whether or not such payments are made as agent of any other person;

(f) taxes or charges imposed by or under statute paid or owed by the debtor, whether within or outside the State and refunds in respect of such taxes and charges which are or may become due to the debtor.

(7) Nothing in this section shall be construed as requiring the Insolvency Service to make an enquiry in any case.

(8) A person who receives an enquiry from the Insolvency Service pursuant to this section shall be under a duty to furnish the information requested as soon as reasonably practicable.

(9) Notwithstanding anything contained in any enactment, for the purposes of the performance of the functions of the Insolvency Service under this Act information held by a Department of State, the Revenue Commissioners, a local authority or any other State body or agency in relation to a debtor may be furnished to the Insolvency Service.