Maurice Quinlivan (Limerick City, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for her response. I appreciate the sensitivities that could be contained in the report but why has the work not yet been completed by the Office of the Attorney General? It seems that an incredibly long time has been taken. Will the Minister indicate how many months on average she would be waiting for advice from the Attorney General on a report?

When is the Minister expecting the report to be published? She might say that it is soon but perhaps the Minister could put a date on it. I am quite disappointed with the response I have received from her today. I understand that the number of staff in the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement has declined from 53 in 2010 to 40 in 2016. These numbers were provided to me by the previous Minister. Apart from that unacceptable 26% reduction in staffing levels, it is quite bizarre to think that just 40 people were assigned to investigate and prosecute white collar crime in Ireland in 2016. This shows how seriously the Government takes this issue and its lack of concern. From reading the report, can the Minister tell the House if lack of resources, staff or funding was highlighted as possible reasons behind the shambolic investigation conducted by the ODCE that led to the collapse of the subsequent Seán FitzPatrick trial?

See this speech in context