Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

I have been informed by the Revenue Commissioners that the official complement of joint investigation unit officers is 15, with officers working to varying time allocations. The number of officers on joint investigation unit duties at the beginning of 2008 was nine. They spend between 25% and 100% of their time on joint investigation unit duties. An allowance of €5,954 is paid to higher executive officers and executive officers for full-time joint investigation unit duties, with pro rata amounts for those working 50% or 25% of their time on such duties. There has been a great deal of movement of officers in recent years as a result of promotions, transfers and decentralisation etc.

It is not possible to give the exact number of joint investigation unit officers who served between 2000 and 2007. However, I can outline the number of officers who, according to the records available to me, were in receipt of the joint investigation unit allowance at some point during the years in question. There was the equivalent of 14 full-time posts in 2000; there was the equivalent of 16.5 full-time posts in 2001; there was the equivalent of 16.75 full-time posts in 2002; there was the equivalent of 15.75 full-time posts in 2003; there was the equivalent of 16.25 full-time posts in 2004; there was the equivalent of ten full-time posts in 2005; there was the equivalent of 11.75 full-time posts in 2006; and there was the equivalent of 11 full-time posts in 2007. The Revenue Commissioners are in the process of filling the vacancies.

The Revenue Commissioners have decided, in the context of the expanded labour market and with the support of the Department of Finance, to increase the number of joint investigation unit officers to 32, all of whom will be full time. This more than exceeds the commitment under Towards 2016. It is intended that the officers will be assigned to joint investigation unit duties by the end of February of this year. The bulk of the work to be carried out by the officers will be project work with the Department of Social and Family Affairs and the National Employment Rights Authority. They will act on information received from those bodies. Their work will include work previously done by audit staff.

See this speech in context