County Antrim director accepts disqualification undertaking for five years
Date published:
The Department for the Economy (the Department) has accepted a disqualification undertaking from the director of a company involved in the operation of licensed restaurants.
The undertaking was received for five years from Margaret Anne O’Reilly (54) of Old Suffolk Road, Belfast, in respect of her conduct as director of Cedarpark Enterprises Limited.
The Company was involved in the operation of licensed restaurants with a registered office at 11 Kennedy Way, Belfast, BT11 9AP. The Company went into liquidation on 29 June 2016 with an estimated deficiency as regards creditors of £560,002. There was a total of £1 owing as Share Capital, resulting in an estimated deficiency as regards members of £560,003.
The Department accepted the Disqualification undertaking from Margaret Anne O’Reilly on 20 March 2025 based on the following unfit conduct which solely for the purposes of the disqualification procedure were not disputed:
(a) Causing and permitting the company to operate a policy of discrimination against the Crown. From 2012/2013 to the date of liquidation, she caused and permitted Cedarpark Enterprises Limited to retain a total of £411,901.69 representing 73.6% of the company's overall estimated deficiency in respect of PAYE, NIC and VAT at the date of liquidation;
(b) Causing and permitting Cedarpark Enterprises Limited to misuse its bank account;
(c) Causing and permitting the company to fail to file Annual Accounts for the year ended 30 September 2013 within the prescribed period and accounts for the year ended 30 September 2014 were not filed. Also causing the company to fail to file Annual Accounts for the year ended 30 September 2012 within the prescribed period; and
(d) Causing and permitting Cerdarpark Enterprises Limited to fail to file annual returns for the years ended 01 September 2014 and 01 September 2015 within the prescribed period. Failing to file annual returns for the years ended 01 September 2011 and 01 September 2013 within the prescribed period.
The Department has accepted thirty-one disqualification undertakings and the Court has made eight disqualification orders in the financial year commencing 1 April 2024.
Notes to editors:
- Insolvency Practitioners acting as voluntary liquidators, administrative receivers and administrators have a duty to report unfit conduct to the Insolvency Service within the Department for the Economy. The Official Receiver acting as liquidator, when a company is wound up by the Court, has a duty to investigate the causes of failure and report any unfit conduct to the Insolvency Service within the Department for the Economy.
- The aim of the Department is to bring disqualification proceedings against those directors of failed companies who have abused the privilege of limited liability status through negligence, incompetence or lack of commercial probity. The legislation contained in the Company Directors Disqualification (Northern Ireland) Order 2002 (“the 2002 Order”) is for the protection of the public and trading community but its operation should not inhibit genuine enterprise.
- In cases where a person is subject to either a Disqualification Order made by the Court or a Disqualification Undertaking accepted by the Department, that person shall not be a director of a company, act as a receiver of a company's property or in any way, whether directly or indirectly, be concerned or take part in the promotion, formation or management of a company unless he has the leave of the High Court. A disqualified person cannot obtain permission to act as an Insolvency Practitioner.
- Article 9 of the 2002 Order provides that where a director is found to be unfit he must be disqualified for a minimum period of two years, up to a maximum of fifteen years. The Courts have decided that the level of seriousness of unfit conduct can fall into three brackets with the top bracket of periods over ten years reserved for particularly serious cases, six to ten years reserved for cases which do not merit the top bracket and two to five years for cases where, although disqualification is mandatory, the case is less serious.
- The 2002 Order also allows directors, with the agreement of the Department, to avoid the need for a court hearing by offering an acceptable Disqualification Undertaking. This has exactly the same legal effect as a Disqualification Order made by the court, and will usually include a schedule identifying the director’s unfit conduct. The consequences of breaching a Disqualification Undertaking are the same as those for breaching a Disqualification Order.
- If anybody contravenes a Disqualification Order or breaches their Disqualification Undertaking they may be committing a criminal offence and could go to prison for up to two years or face a fine or both. Any person with information to suggest that a disqualified person has acted in contravention of this provision should contact The Insolvency Service’s Directors Disqualification Unit on 028 90 548587.
- The period of disqualification commences at the end of 21 days beginning with the day the Disqualification Undertaking was accepted by the Department.
- For media enquiries contact the Department for the Economy Press Office at pressoffice@economy-ni.gov.uk
- The Executive Information Service operates an out of hours service for media enquiries only between 1800hrs and 0800hrs Monday to Friday and at weekends and public holidays. The duty press officer can be contacted on 028 9037 8110.
- To keep up to date with news from the Department you can follow us on the following social media channels:
- X – @Economy_NI
- Facebook – @DeptEconomyNI
- Instagram – economy_ni
- LinkedIn – Department for the Economy NI