Written answers
Thursday, 14 July 2022
Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment
Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement
Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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191. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he will provide a full schedule of permanent and seconded staff to the Corporate Enforcement Authority by grade, rank and or professional title. [39278/22]
Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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The Companies (Corporate Enforcement Authority) Act 2021, providing for the establishment of the Corporate Enforcement Authority (CEA) was commenced on 6thof July and the CEA was established on 7thof July 2022.
In preparation for the establishment of the CEA my Department approved an additional 14 civil servants to be assigned to the CEA. In addition, the 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). Recruitment of additional Gardaí is underway.
As a result of a combination of new sanctions, retirements, and internal and external promotions, 20 civilian vacancies are being carried by the Corporate Enforcement Authority (CEA) at present. In terms of recruitment for these 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. Candidates to fill 5 of these vacancies have been identified and it is hoped they will take up their posts in the coming months, with two due to commence in July.
I am informed that as of 12 July 2022, the Corporate Enforcement Authority (CEA) has 46 staff in situ, including 10 Gardai on secondment. Details of current staffing numbers by grade/title are set out below:
| Title | Grade/Grade Equivalent |
|---|---|
| Chief Executive Officer | Assistant Secretary |
| Director of Criminal Enforcement | Principal Officer |
| Director of Insolvency Supervision | Principal Officer |
| Director of Digital Investigations & Analytics | Principal Officer |
| Director of Governance & Support Operations | Principal Officer |
| Director of Finance & ICT | Principal Officer |
| Director of Legal & Policy | Principal Officer |
| Senior Enforcement Manager | Assistant Principal Officer |
| Senior Digital Investigations & Analytics Manager | Assistant Principal Officer |
| Senior Enforcement Lawyer | Assistant Principal Officer |
| Senior Forensic Accountant x 6 | Assistant Principal Officer |
| Detective Sergeant x 2 | Detective Sergeant |
| Detective Garda x 8 | Detective Garda |
| Higher Executive Officer x 6 | Higher Executive Officer |
| Executive Officer x 5 | Executive Officer |
| Clerical Officer x 9 | Clerical Officer |
| Note: except where otherwise stated, all positions are permanent |
Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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192. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if the memorandum of understanding between An Garda Síochána and the Corporate Enforcement Authority has been finalised and signed off. [39279/22]
Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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I signed the orders providing for the commencement of the Companies (Corporate Enforcement Authority) Act 2021 and the establishment of the Corporate Enforcement Authority (CEA) on 5th July and 6th July, respectively.
I am confident that the extra staff and additional funding will ensure that the new Authority can really make a difference and meet the differing and evolving demands of its remit, which includes investigation, prosecution, supervision and advocacy
The Garda Commissioner has committed additional Garda Síochána resources being made available to the CEA. The members of An Garda Síochána assigned to the CEA will increase from 7 to 16. The total increase in the overall headcount for the new CEA will be nearly 50% over previous levels. Recruitment for these positions is underway. These additional Garda resources are in line with Government’s vision for the new Authority; the CEA’s statutory functions; and the Director’s assessment of the CEA’s Garda staffing needs.
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the CEA and An Garda Síochána was agreed and signed on 3rd June 2022. The MoU formalises arrangements between the two entities on a range of matters, including the procedure by which secondees are selected. It provides for ongoing co-operation between the two bodies to ensure both organisations work effectively to fulfil their respective independent statutory obligations.
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