Written answers
Thursday, 1 June 2017
Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation
Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement Staff
Tommy Broughan (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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251. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the staffing numbers of the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement (ODCE) in each year since the agency's inception to May 2017; the key job specifications of the ODCE staff annually since its inception, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26468/17]
Mary Mitchell O'Connor (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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The information requested by the Deputy is provided in the following table:
No. of staff1serving in the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement (ODCE) (2001-2017)
| GRADE | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 20172 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Director | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Corporate Compliance Manager | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Legal Adviser | 0 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 |
| Principal Solicitor | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Principal Officer | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Professional Accountant Grade 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 5 |
| Solicitor | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Assistant Principal Officer | 4 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 |
| Higher Executive Officer | 5 | 6 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 7 | 10 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 |
| Executive Officer | 1 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 6 |
| Clerical Officer | 2 | 7 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 |
| Total | 17 | 32 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 32 | 35 | 41 | 44 | 43 | 42 | 38 | 37 | 35 | 33 | 35 | 34 |
| Gardai3 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 5 |
1 Refers to number of people not FTE’s (i.e. not Full Time Equivalents where 2 people working a week on, week off pattern would equal 1 FTE)
2 Staffing as at 12 May 2017
3 A staff complement of 7 Gardaí is assigned to the ODCE to assist with its criminal investigation / prosecution functions. Additional resources were assigned to the Office in the period 2010-2013 to assist in the Anglo Irish Bank investigation.
Following his appointment, the current Director undertook a review of the structure of the ODCE, together with the staffing and skills mix available to him. That review identified, in particular, a significant skills deficit in the area of accountancy expertise. Following that review, the Director sought, and was granted, sanction to recruit a cohort of new accountants. Following engagement between my Department, the Director and the Public Appointments Service, five accountants have been recruited and the process of recruiting a further two is in progress. More recently, the Department recruited a digital forensics specialist, who was assigned to the ODCE. In addition, and due to a combination of retirement, promotion and transfer, three senior enforcement positions are currently vacant. My Department is working with PAS and the Director towards the filling of those vacancies with suitably qualified and experienced candidates. In this regard, a process for the filling of up to Principal Officer-level posts with qualified Accountants or Lawyers as “Enforcement Portfolio Managers” is well advanced.
The ODCE also has an approved complement of seven members of An Garda Síochána (one Detective Inspector, two Detective Sergeants and four Detective Gardaí). The Detective Inspector retired some months ago, there is a retirement related vacancy at Detective Garda level and one of the two Detective Sergeants is retiring in the coming weeks. The Director has requested the Commissioner to fill the two more senior of these vacancies as a matter of urgency.
Finally, as regards the “key job specifications” of the staff, these would have changed from time-to-time as the Director of the Office determined in the normal, routine, management of business in the Office and in that regard an organisation chart is included in each of the ODCE’s Annual Reports since its inception, which are published on its website and which would provide relevant information for the Deputy.
Tommy Broughan (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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252. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation her plans to provide additional specialist staff for the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26469/17]
Mary Mitchell O'Connor (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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Since I took up office as the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, five forensic accountants have joined the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement (ODCE) and a recruitment process is underway for a further two. Additionally, a senior digital forensics specialist took up duty with the ODCE on May 30.
In addition, and due to a combination of retirement, promotion and transfer, three senior enforcement positions are currently vacant. The Department is well advanced with the process for the recruitment to the two senior posts of “Enforcement Portfolio Managers” which will be filled either by qualified accountants or legal personnel. The Department is working with the Director towards the filling of the third vacancy with a suitably qualified and experienced candidate.
The Department has no outstanding sanction requests from the Director of Corporate Enforcement.
I have already stated in this House that all options are on the table to ensure the mistakes and shortcomings highlighted by Judge Aylmer are not repeated. If it is considered that the ODCE require additional specialist staff, I will ensure this is addressed.
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