Central Bank of Ireland's AML Risk Evaluation Questionnaire

Received a letter from the Central Bank of Ireland's Anti-Money Laundering Division headed "AML Risk Evaluation Questionnaire (‘REQ’) Notification to [Name of Regulated Firm] (or ‘the firm’) to submit an REQ on an Annual Basis." last month with a return date this month? If so you are not alone.
The letter reminds that credit and financial institutions are required to have anti-money laundering (AML) and countering financing of terrorism (CFT) preventive measures to ensure compliance with the Criminal Justice (Money and Terrorist Financing) Acts 2010 to 2021, a well as reminding of the obligation to comply with EU Council Regulations setting out financial sanctions (‘FS’) measures.

The CBI has established the REQ to seek information regarding individual firms’ exposure to Money Laundering / Terrorist Financing risks and also the AML/CFT compliance framework.

Firms are being informed to submit the REQ in the specified format via the CBI's Online Reporting System on an ANNUAL BASIS within the time period specified on ONR.

The CBI has informed firms that "for 2021, this deadline for the submission of the REQ return is 18 June 2021".

Not only is the form detailed, and there are a few potential ways of interpreting some of the questions, or at least their interaction with other questions, but importantly for Boards of Directors note:

i) Statement of Compliance: "... the REQ includes a statement to be signed by the firm confirming compliance with the firm’s AML/CFT/FS obligations. This statement if [sic] compliance should be signed and dated by a person who is duly authorised to do so by the Board (or equivalent). Ideally this person will have responsibility for AML/CFT/FS within the firm." NB this person doesn't need to be in a PCF role, but the CBI expect them to be of sufficient seniority within the firm to provide the confirmation sought.

ii) Record Retention: "A record of the person who signed the statement of compliance must be formally noted in the Board minutes (or equivalent) when it is brought forward for consideration. The original signed and dated hard copy of the statement of compliance and the accompanying REQ is required to be kept on file and made available for review by the Central Bank on request."

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Further reading: Risk Evaluation Questionnaire ('REQ') Return

Building upon the obligations of credit and financial institutions under the CJA 2010, the Central Bank has developed a REQ in order to seek information regarding individual firms' exposure to ML / TF risks and also their AML / CFT compliance framework.

Firms selected by the Central Bank to submit an REQ are required to submit the REQ in the specified format, through the Central Bank's Online Reporting System ('ONR'), within the time period specified on ONR.

The minimum frequency that a firm will be required to submit an REQ is predicated on the level of ML/TF risk presented by the firm, either by virtue of its business model and/or the sector into which it falls (for further information on the frequency of submission please see the Table: AML/CFT Minimum Supervisory Engagement Model on the Central Bank AML / CFT Supervision Tab).

• CBI's website - Risk-based approach to AML Supervision 
• Risk-Evaluation-Questionnaire | xls 101 KB
• REQ Guidance Materials | pdf 1126 KB

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