Section 340 - Cessation of business of external company

(1) Where an external company ceases to have an established place of business in the Republic, it shall within twenty-eight days after so ceasing, give notice of the cessation to the Registrar in the prescribed form in duplicate and the Registrar shall register the cessation and publish a copy of the notice in the Companies Bulletin.

(2) The Registrar shall then strike the name of the company off the register of external companies.

(3) After notice is given to the Registrar in accordance with subsection (1) and so long as the company does not have an established place of business in the Republic except as provided in subsection (6), a person shall not be under an obligation to deliver a document relating to the company to the Registrar pursuant to sections 329 to 338.

(4) Where the Registrar has reasonable cause to believe that an external company has ceased to have a place of business in the Republic, the Registrar may send by registered post to the registered local manager and process agent and, if more than one, to all of those persons, a letter enquiring whether the company is maintaining an established place of business in the Republic.

(5) Where the Registrar receives an answer to the effect that the company has ceased to have an established place of business in the Republic or does not, within three months, receive a reply, the Registrar may strike the name of the company off the register of external companies.

(6) At any time within six years after the date on which the company was struck off, the register of external companies under subsections (1) and (2) or (4) and (5), a person has the right to inspect the documents relating to that company.

(7) During the six years after the date on which the company was struck off the register of external companies, the company shall, despite subsection (3) continue to be under the obligation imposed by section 331 to give notice of an alteration in the names of the process agent of the company.