Written answers

Tuesday, 28 May 2019

Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation

Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement Data

Photo of David CullinaneDavid Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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189. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the number of staff employed at the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement; the number of vacant positions in each of the years 2001 to 2018 and to date in 2019, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22609/19]

Photo of Heather HumphreysHeather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The number of staff currently assigned to the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement (ODCE) is 38 (35.2 full time equivalent). In addition, 5 Gardaí are assigned to the ODCE.

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 eight suitably qualified and experienced forensic accountants (there are seven positions of forensic accountant, but one staff member was successful in another competition and was replaced) 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. This ongoing exercise has resulted in four senior-level professional posts, two Enforcement Portfolio Managers and two Enforcement Lawyers, being created. All of these posts having been filled through recruitment campaigns led by the Public Appointments Service.

The number of vacant positions for the years 2001 to 2018 (at year-end) are set out in tabular form:

*2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
00102011126622011

*The ODCE was established on 28th November, 2001 with 15 of its approved staffing complement of 30 staff (plus 7 members of An Garda Síochána).

There are currently 4 vacancies in the ODCE, that the Department is responsible for filling. There are two vacancies of Forensic Accountant which have arisen in recent weeks. A recent retirement has led to one vacancy at Executive Officer level. My Department is currently liaising with the Public Appointments Service on filling the Forensic Accountant and Executive Officer vacancies. There is also a vacancy for a Corporate Compliance Manager which the Director is considering as part of the organisation’s current priorities and overall workforce.

Photo of David CullinaneDavid Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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190. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the annual budget for the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement in each of the years 2001 to 2019, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22614/19]

Photo of Heather HumphreysHeather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The annual budget for the Office from 2001 to 2019 is set out in the following table.

Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement

REV Allocations (€000)PayNon-PayTotal
2001961 1,378 2,339
20021,308 2,364 3,672
20031,426 2,402 3,828
20041,686 2,564 4,250
20051,793 2,745 4,538
20061,899 2,814 4,713
20072,119 2,704 4,823
20082,681 2,276 4,957
20092,655 2,880 5,535
20102,579 3,507 6,086
20112,660 3,307 5,967
20122,620 3,077 5,697
20132,475 2,855 5,330
20142,465 2,207 4,672
20152,884 2,207 5,091
20162,808 2,207 5,015
20172,838 2,057 4,895
20183,000 2,057 5,057
20193,740 2,317 6,057

The distribution of the funding allocations across my Department’s Vote, including that of the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement, is determined through the annual Revised Estimates Volume (REV) process.

Since the appointment of the current Director, the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement (ODCE) has been engaged in a process of organisational reform to ensure that the organisation is suitably equipped to discharge its mandate in an effective manner. Steps taken in that regard over recent years have included the recruitment of a number of specialist staff to enhance key skills and organisational capability, including 8 Forensic Accountants; a Digital Forensic Specialist; 2 Enforcement Lawyers and 2 Enforcement Portfolio Managers. Specific provision has been made in the Office’s pay allocation from 2015 to allow for the recruitment of these additional staff.

The provision of additional resources to the ODCE has also facilitated the establishment of an in-house digital forensics laboratory, including an on-site digital forensics capability whereby data retrieved from digital devices can be relayed to investigators in real time.

An additional €1m was provided for the ODCE in 2019 to reflect the likely costs associated with the transition of the ODCE into a stand-alone Agency. A funding allocation of €6.057m has been provided for the ODCE for 2019.

The issue of resourcing of the ODCE is kept under review on a regular basis between my officials and the ODCE as part of the ongoing work in operationalising the transition of the ODCE to a stand-alone agency and also as part of the normal day-to-day interaction to discuss operational matters relating to the Office.

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