Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats)
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84. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the number and nature of posts, by head count and in whole time equivalent terms in the ODCE in each of the past four years; the number of vacant posts in the ODCE; the details of same; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47318/17]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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The staffing complement of the ODCE for the years requested by the Deputy is set out in the table.

Following his appointment in the latter half of 2012, the Director carried out a review of the ODCE’s then skills mix and operational capacity. That review, inter alia, identified certain skill deficiencies, as a consequence of which sanction was sought, and subsequently obtained, to recruit a number of additional professional staff to address the identified need.

Further to that process, the Department, through the Public Appointments Service, recruited six suitably qualified and experienced forensic accountants together with a suitably qualified and experienced digital forensics specialist, for assignment to the ODCE.

Over recent years, a number of senior-level vacancies have arisen within the ODCE through a combination of retirement, promotion and transfer to other parts of the public service. In that context, the skill sets, competencies, roles and responsibilities associated with each of those posts have been reviewed and reconfigured by the Director to better reflect the organisation’s current needs. That exercise has resulted in two senior-level professional posts of Enforcement Portfolio Manager being created, with one of those posts having been filled recently and the filling of the other expected shortly. In the same context, the Department is currently engaging with the Public Appointments Service to fill, through open competition, two currently vacant Forensic Accountant positions as well as a reconfigured senior role of Enforcement Legal Adviser.

The ODCE also has an approved complement of seven members of An Garda Síochána (one Detective Inspector, two Detective Sergeants and four Detective Gardaí). A vacancy arose in regard to the Detective Inspector post. I understand from An Garda Síochána that an allocation of a Detective Inspector, who also had other duties, was made to the post. This post in among a number of Detective Inspector posts which will shortly be the subject of a promotions competition.

No. of staff* serving in the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement (ODCE) (2014-2017)

* Headcount = number of persons, FTE = “Full-time Equivalent” posts/staff

** Staffing as at end-October 2017

*** Under a 1999 Government Decision, the ODCE is allocated an approved complement of 7 Gardaí members of an An Garda Síochána.