Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)

That is a completely different question from the one tabled. We can reply in detail to the Deputy later in terms of the specifics of that question. The question he tabled is about the funding and resources for the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement and whether I will make a statement on the matter.

I wish to clarify the backdrop to the increase in resources for that office. The director made a submission to the Department last year seeking approval for the allocation of 20 extra staff. He did not identify that issue as the key one but rather identified a range of issues. He requested that eight staff be allocated by the year end with four in situ by then. We will have allocated eight of the 20 additional staff sought and the issue of allocating six additional gardaí is being pursued with the Garda Commissioner. If that comes through, a further six people will be allocated, which the director has indicated he would require. We are now in the middle of the Estimates cycle and are engaged in discussions with the Department of Finance in that regard.

The agency has made substantial progress. Our difficulty is in terms of the employment numbers to which we are obliged to adhere. We must consider a range of demands from various agencies. The staff in the National Employment Rights Authority, NERA, has increased from 31 to 90, the Labour Court, LRC and EAT have been allocated 25 additional staff; the Competition Authority has been allocated seven additional staff; 50 new posts have been allocated to FÁS apprenticeship training; 44 additional staff were sanctioned for the Health and Safety Authority, of whom 23 are in place and 21 are being recruited for implementation of the Reach directive; sanction has been received for seven contract staff for the National Consumer Agency, bringing the total to 15 staff for the agency; and two additional staff have been sought for IASSID, which brings the total staff complement there to 17. We must work within the constraints of those demands. We have recruited 257 staff for all the agencies. The issue in question is the prioritising of the allocation of staff required.

In terms of its criminal enforcement proceedings, the ODCE has secured 48 convictions of company directors in 2006. The civil enforcement proceedings secured 14 disqualifications and two restrictions in 2006 and there was a range of other proceedings. Some 100 directors of insolvent companies were also restricted by the High Court in 2006 on the application of liquidators made with the ODCE's assent. Nearly €160 million was repaid by directors and connected persons to their companies after excessive use had been made by them of company assets.

The director has had considerable success. We are anxious to do what we can to support him in his ongoing mission. Given the short timespan he has been in office, he has made an impact.

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