Sorca Clarke (Longford-Westmeath, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

3. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the whole-time equivalent vacancies by job title in the Office of Director of Corporate Enforcement as of 28 June 2022, in tabular form; and when each of these vacancies will be filled. [36467/22]

Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The Programme for Government includes a commitment to establish the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement (ODCE) as a stand-alone statutory body, the Corporate Enforcement Authority (CEA).

The Commencement Order, commencing the Companies (Corporate Enforcement Authority) Act 2021 will be signed shortly, with the Establishment Order which is required to set up the CEA being signed soon thereafter.

As an Agency, the CEA will have more autonomy, particularly the ability to recruit required skills and expertise. My Department has worked with the ODCE to ensure the CEA will have the necessary human resources required, both Civil Service and members of An Garda Síochána, to undertake its statutory functions.

In preparation for the establishment of the Corporate Enforcement Authority (CEA), my Department approved an additional 14 civil servants to be assigned to the CEA. In addition, the new CEA’s full-time Garda complement will increase by 50% from 7 to 16 officers (comprising of 1 Detective Inspector, 3 Detective Sergeants and 12 Detective Gardaí). This is in line with the Director of Corporate Enforcement’s assessment of the staffing needs of the CEA. Recruitment of additional Gardaí is underway.

As of 29 June 2022, the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement (“ODCE”) has 47 staff in situ, including 10 Gardaí on secondment.

As a result of a combination of new sanctions, retirements, and internal and external promotions, 20 civilian vacancies are being carried by the Office of Director of Corporate Enforcement (ODCE) at present. Candidates to fill 3 of these vacancies have been identified and will take up their posts in the coming months. In terms of recruitment for the remaining positions I am informed that priority is being given to filling the more senior posts in order that incoming senior staff can participate in the recruitment of more junior staff. Regarding senior staff, several competitions have been run over recent months. Those competitions have seen varying degrees of success and recruitment competitions are ongoing.

Details of current civilian vacancies are set out below:

- Head of Legal

- Head of Civil Enforcement & Advocacy

- Forensic Accountant

- Insolvency Supervision Manager

- Enforcement Lawyer

- HR Manager

- Governance Manager