Tommy Broughan (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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358. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation her plans to increase the number of staff in the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement by 20%; the necessary resources required to do so; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37561/18]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Following his appointment in 2012, the current Director undertook a review of the structure of the ODCE, together with the staffing and skills mix available to him.

The Director subsequently sought, and was granted, sanction to recruit a cohort of new accountants. From 2016 to date, a total of eight forensic accountants, a digital forensics specialist, 2 Enforcement Portfolio Managers and 1 Enforcement Lawyer have been appointed. My Department is working with the Public Appointments Service towards the filling of a further Enforcement Lawyer post.

A key action in the Government's package of measures to strengthen Ireland's response to white-collar crime centres around the establishment of the ODCE as an agency.

Work on the development of the legislative framework for the establishment of the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement as an agency is well advanced. It is expected that the General Scheme of a Bill to give effect to this decision will be published shortly.

Changing the structure of the ODCE from an office to a statutory agency will provide greater autonomy to the agency and ensure it is better equipped to investigate increasingly complex breaches of company law. Sourcing of expertise and specialist staff will be enhanced under the agency model. The resourcing requirements of the Agency will be considered in the context of the annual Revised Estimates Volume (REV) process.