Ms Elaine Cassidy:

With regard to resources, SIPO has large mandate and much to do. To date this work has been achieved very successfully. The Deputy is right when she says there has been a call for a review. I am pleased to say the commission has launched a review. We have a third party in to do a capacity review. It is a very timely opportunity to do so because the new mandate is coming our way. I am very confident it will be a useful exercise and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform is aware of it. I hope the Department will be supportive if the review calls for more resources.

With regard to how the new regime would affect our existing work, the most likely issue would be that it would be extremely difficult to operate. Even giving us more money would not necessarily resolve the matter. The fact is that we have a system that works. The rest of the sanctions are criminal sanctions. We have a method to progress these situations. Introducing a completely new system for something that is likely to only occur at most once a year is unworkable. This is not necessarily about resources. It is more about the operational effectiveness of it. This is what our concern is.