Nominee does not give you the full status associated with shareholding. You do not have rights to receive information, to attend shareholders meetings, to vote - except to the extent that the nominee permits you. Where the company offers special privileges to shareholders e.g. discounts, you may not get these. A nominee shareholder cannot verify his shareholding theough the "investor relations" link on many corporate sites. In short, a nominee shareholder is not a true shareholder.
Unfortunately....very unfortunately, no Irish stockbroker offers a facility to have online trading and crest. Goodbodys had such a facility until some weeks ago - now they have withdrawn it. If you want to have a full and proper shareholding - either certs or crest - and trade online, you must go to a stockbroker outside the state. I have just moved therefore to Sharewatch who do offer such facilities