Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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108. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of staff employed by the special assignee of the Insolvency Service of Ireland at the end of 2013 and 2014; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12230/15]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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I am advised by the Insolvency Service of Ireland that a total of 31 staff were employed in the Bankruptcy Division in both 2013 and 2014. The Bankruptcy Division is headed by the Official Assignee. The Office of the Official Assignee, an Office of the High Court was transferred to the ISI in accordance with the provisions of Part 7 of the Courts and Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2013. Prior to the transfer, the Office had a total of 11 staff working with the Official Assignee. The significant increase in staff in the Bankruptcy Division was sanctioned in preparation for the significant expected increase in bankruptcies.

I should note that there has been a significant increase in the number of seriously indebted persons seeking bankruptcy by self-adjudication since the reduction of the automatic discharge period from 12 years to three. There were four hundred and forty eight (448) bankruptcies during 2014 compared with fifty-eight (58) in 2013. It is expected that this increasing trend will continue.