Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

In the relatively short time since its establishment, the CEA has quickly established its presence and is integral to maintaining Ireland’s reputation as a safe and well-regulated economy in which to invest and create employment. The CEA has produced its first statutory annual report covering the period from 7 July 2022, the date of its establishment, to 31 December 2023. During the period under review, 454 complaints with allegations of wrongdoing were received, of which 398 were received from members of the public and 56 from various public entities, including the Central Bank, the CRO, Revenue and An Garda Síochána. Some 22 reports were received in accordance with the Protected Disclosures (Amendment) Act 2022 and 239 indictable offence reports were received.

Fifty-one SCARP reports were received and 13 examiner reports. Overall, 80 directors were restricted, 27 disqualified, five warranted authorising searches obtained and executed, 213 witness statements taken, nine voluntary cautioned interviews conducted and 12 arrests made. The CEA initiated one summary prosecution and 12 investigation files were referred to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions. In addition, CEA officers seized laptops, digital storage devices, mobile devices and data. In total, over 4.1 million files were made available to CEA officers for review as part of the investigations. I acknowledge the work of the entire staff of the CEA during this time. They very much made their presence felt.

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