Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 420, 421, 422, 423, 424 and 425 together.

The Corporate Enforcement Authority was established on the 7 July 2022. Under the Companies Act 2014, the CEA is independent in the performance of its functions.

The CEA’s functions under the Companies Act 2014 include:

• promoting compliance with company law
• investigating instances of suspected breaches of company law
• taking appropriate enforcement action in response to identified breaches of company law
• supervising the activities of liquidators of insolvent companies
• operating a regime of restriction and disqualification undertakings in respect of directors of insolvent companies.

Under the Companies Act 2014, Gardaí seconded to the CEA remain under the general direction and control of the Commissioner of the Garda Síochána. A Memorandum of Understanding between the CEA and An Garda Síochána is in place which sets out how the relationship between the two organisations is managed. The Memorandum of Understanding is available on the CEA website.

Neither I nor my officials have any role in the decisions around the assignment of Gardaí to the CEA.

The CEA's approved complement of Garda secondments is 16. The current complement is 12. The CEA is working with Garda management to fill the remaining vacancies. The CEA has requested the rescindment of 4 Gardaí over the past three years. This occurred in early 2025. As secondees from An Garda Síochána are not employed by the CEA any resignation or retirement is a matter for An Garda Síochána.

In terms of civilian staff, when the CEA was established in 2022, it had 36 civil service staff members. It now has sanction for 73 civil service staff members, this is a doubling of approved staff complement in less than three years. In terms of staff leaving the CEA, there have been 6 resignations in the past three years. There have been no retirements. The CEA conducts exit interviews in respect of civil service staff who depart the organisation. The majority of staff who leave the CEA do so either on promotion or to avail of mobility in the Civil Service.

Further details are included in the table below.

Resignations and Retirements of CEA Civil Service Staff 2023-2025

Year	Retired	Resigned	Length of Service
2023	0	1	5 months
2024	0	4	8years 2months
			2years 3months
			1year 2months
			2months
2025	0	1	2years

Resourcing of the CEA is kept under constant review and the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment is involved in regular engagement with the CEA in relation to its requirements. In light of the Department's ongoing engagement with the CEA in line with the Code of Practice for the Governance of State Bodies, the Department is assured that the Agency is undertaking its statutory functions effectively.

Ian Drennan was first appointed as Director of Corporate Enforcement on 29 August 2012, in which position he served for 5 years until August 2017 when he was re-appointed for a further two-year term until 28 August 2019. He was again re-appointed on 29 August 2019 until the establishment of the CEA on the 7 of July 2022, whereupon he was appointed as the Chief Executive Officer and sole appointed member of the CEA pursuant to section 944F(4)(a) of the Companies Act 2014.

Section 944F (7) of the Companies Act 2014 permits the reappointment of the current CEO for a further and final period not to exceed five years. Ian Drennan was reappointed in August 2024 under this Section of the Act. His contact will run until 28 August 2029.

There is no review of the structure of the leadership team of the Corporate Enforcement Authority underway in my Department currently.