Report on the Transfer of the .IE (Ireland) top-level domain to IE Domain Registry CLG

11 June 2026

This report is a summary of the materials reviewed as part of the process for the transfer of the .IE (Ireland) top-level domain. It includes details regarding the proposed transfer, evaluation of the documentation pertinent to the request, and actions undertaken in connection with processing the transfer.

Factual Information

Country

The “IE” ISO 3166-1 code from which the application’s eligibility derives, is designated for use to represent Ireland.

Chronology of Events

The .IE top-level domain was introduced in 1988 and has been managed since by the University College Dublin (UCD). In July 2000, UCD passed some day-to-day responsibilities to IE Domain Registry Limited (IEDR). IEDR was incorporated in November 1999 under the Ireland Companies Acts 1963 to 1999 with registration number 315315.

In late 2001, the Internet Service Providers Association of Ireland (ISPAI) expressed direct interest in IANA's redelegation process for the .IE domain, voicing concerns about how it was being operated. Specifically, it noted the absence of industry participation in management, public financial reporting, public management reporting, agreed dispute arbitration mechanism, and the lack of an agreed public policy forum. Around the same time, IEDR requested formal recognition by ICANN to be the manager of the .IE domain. IEDR shared that it had already notified the Irish Government of its intention to seek a formal transfer of the .IE domain, and had been working to broaden its governance structure by adding board representation from the Irish business and Internet communities, establishing an advisory group, and putting a formal appeals process in place. IEDR also provided background on the domain's history, noting that a Deed of Assignment had been entered into between UCD and IEDR on 1 July 2000.

IEDR wrote to IANA to address ISPAI’s areas of concern, acknowledging the formal process required for transferring country code top-level domains (ccTLDs) and confirming it has notified its intention to seek formal transfer of the .IE domain from UCD in accordance with the requirements of IANA policies, with a formal proposal being prepared for submission.

In 2007, the Irish Government enacted an amendment to the Communications Regulation Act that allows for regulation of the .IE domain by the Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg).

In September 2010, UCD wrote to IANA expressing support for the transfer of the .IE domain from UCD to IEDR. In doing so, it stated UCD had reassigned all relevant assets, liabilities, staff, and undertakings to IEDR via the Deed of Assignment. UCD recognized that seeking transfer of responsibility for the ccTLD did not occur, which had left it as the recognized ccTLD manager despite no longer having any operational role. UCD acknowledged that this outdated status was unsatisfactory and confirmed UCD's full support to transfer management of the ccTLD to IEDR.

Later in 2010, IANA received a request from the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources (DCENR) to transfer the .IE domain from UCD to DCENR, however, this request was not pursued further.

In February 2011, IANA received a transfer request from IEDR. Both ComReg and DCENR stated they did not support the transfer, and IANA staff identified several matters that needed to be more fully addressed before the proposal could be decided. As those deficiencies were not resolved, the transfer request was administratively closed that May. DCENR explained that it viewed the request as essentially administrative in nature; as the day-to-day operations would remain largely unchanged, with continuity of staff, policies, and service levels. It stressed that “the Department has no issue with the continued operation of IEDR as the registry for the ccTLD and we would envisage the status quo being maintained with [UCD] to retain the delegation until such time as matters are resolved to the satisfaction of all parties.”

ComReg had expressed the view that the department itself should hold the delegation, to reflect its empowerment to designate the domain registry authority in Ireland under the relevant legislation. ISPAI also wrote to IANA, stating that “ISPAI, after consultation with its members, supports the view that the sponsoring organization for .IE must be a public body and not a private company. Delegation to DCENR instead of IEDR would align most closely with the existing legislation.”

In October 2012, the administrative and technical contacts for the .IE domain were updated in IANA’s records to points of contacts at IEDR.

In 2023, representatives of IEDR, the Irish Government, and IANA met regarding a renewed attempt to transfer the .IE domain from UCD to IEDR.

In December 2024, the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications (DECC) launched a public consultation on Ireland's .IE ccTLD management framework. In the following year, IEDR and IANA met to discuss the completion of the public consultation. IEDR adopted Terms of Endorsement which was awaiting the Minister's signature before the transfer process could proceed.

In April 2026, a summary of the public consultation was released. Based on feedback and input from relevant government departments, DECC established a set of core principles to form the basis of a Terms of Endorsement for Ireland's ccTLD manager. The terms will be reviewed every five years, with the Minister retaining discretion to update them as needed, and any future legislative changes in this area will also trigger a review to ensure alignment.

On 26 April 2026, IANA received a formal request to transfer the management of the .IE domain to IEDR.

Proposed Manager and Contacts

The proposed manager is IE Domain Registry CLG. Under the Companies Act 2014, IE Domain Registry is an independent company limited by guarantee (CLG).

The Chief Executive Officer and Chief Information Officer at IE Domain Registry CLG will continue to serve as the public administrative and technical contacts, respectively.

Evaluation of the Request

String Eligibility

The top-level domain is eligible for transfer as the string for Ireland is presently assigned in the ISO 3166-1 standard.

Incumbent Consent

University College Dublin, as the current .IE manager, consents to this transfer. IEDR, as the proposed new manager and already performing significant day-to-day management duties, also supports this transfer.

Public Interest

Government support for the transfer request has been submitted by Patrick O’Donovan, Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport.

Statements of support or non-objection were also provided by the following significantly interested parties:

  • Stu Homan, Chief Operating Officer, Markmonitor
  • Eileen Gallagher, Chief Executive Officer, Irish Neutral Exchange Association CLG (INEX)
  • Michele Neylon, Managing Director, Blacknight Internet Solutions Ltd
  • Fergal O’Byrne, supports the transfer request in a personal capacity

IANA has not received any letters of objection.

The application is consistent with known applicable laws in Ireland. The proposed manager undertakes the responsibility to operate the domain in a fair and equitable manner.

Based in Country

The proposed manager is constituted in Dublin, Ireland.

The proposed administrative contact has represented that they are resident in Ireland.

Stability

At this time, the application is not known to be contested.

We have not identified any stability issues with this request.

Competency

No operational or technical changes are being pursued in association with this change. The application does not intend to change how the domain is operated, in which IEDR has been involved for a significant amount of time, and is limited to formal recognition of it as the ccTLD manager.

Proposed policies for management of the domain have also been tendered.

Evaluation Procedure

PTI is tasked with coordinating the Domain Name System root zone as part of a set of functions governed by a contract with ICANN. This includes accepting and evaluating requests for delegation and transfer of top-level domains.

A subset of top-level domains are designated for the significantly interested parties in countries to operate in a way that best suits their local needs. These are known as country-code top-level domains (ccTLDs), and are assigned to responsible managers that meet a number of public-interest criteria for eligibility. These criteria largely relate to the level of support the manager has from its local Internet community, its capacity to ensure stable operation of the domain, and its applicability under any relevant local laws.

Through the IANA functions performed by PTI, requests are received for delegating new ccTLDs, and transferring or revoking existing ccTLDs. An investigation is performed on the circumstances pertinent to those requests, and the requests are implemented where they are found to meet the criteria.

Purpose of Evaluations

The evaluation of eligibility for ccTLDs, and of evaluating responsible managers charged with operating them, is guided by a number of principles. The objective of the assessment is that the action enhances the secure and stable operation of the Internet’s unique identifier systems.

In considering requests to delegate or transfer ccTLDs, input is sought regarding the proposed new manager, as well as from persons and organizations that may be significantly affected by the change, particularly those within the nation or territory to which the ccTLD is designated. The assessment is focused on the capacity for the proposed manager to meet the following criteria:

  • The domain should be operated within the country, including having its manager and administrative contact based in the country.

  • The domain should be operated in a way that is fair and equitable to all groups in the local Internet community.

  • Significantly interested parties in the domain should agree that the prospective manager is the appropriate party to be responsible for the domain, with the desires of the national government taken very seriously.

  • The domain must be operated competently, both technically and operationally. Management of the domain should adhere to relevant technical standards and community best practices.

  • Risks to the stability of the Internet addressing system must be adequately considered and addressed, particularly with regard to how existing identifiers will continue to function.

Method of Evaluation

To assess these criteria, information is requested from the applicant regarding the proposed manager and method of operation. In summary, a request template is sought specifying the exact details of the delegation being sought in the root zone. In addition, various documentation is sought describing: the views of the local internet community on the application; the competencies and skills of the manager to operate the domain; the legal authenticity, status and character of the proposed manager; and the nature of government support for the proposal.

After receiving this documentation and input, it is analyzed in relation to existing root zone management procedures, seeking input from parties both related to as well as independent of the proposed manager should the information provided in the original application be deficient. The applicant is given the opportunity to cure any deficiencies before a final assessment is made.

Once all the documentation has been received, various technical checks are performed on the proposed manager’s DNS infrastructure to ensure name servers are properly configured and are able to respond to queries correctly. Should any anomalies be detected, PTI will work with the applicant to address the issues.

Assuming all issues are resolved, an assessment is compiled providing all relevant details regarding the proposed manager and its suitability to operate the relevant top-level domain.