Vol. 518 No. 5
35 Mrs. Owen asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the current staff numbers available to the Office of the Director of Consumer Affairs; the length of time each staff member has been in his or her current job; the number of changes of staff which have occurred in the past two years; the proposals if any she has to alter the method of staffing this office to give it more independence and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11978/00]
There are a total of 53 posts in the Office of the Director of Consumer Affairs.
The length of time served by current staff members varies from recent recruits to the office who have served for a number of months to those who have served ten years or more. In the past two years there have been approximately 18 staff changes in the office. The staff of the ODCA are civil servants who are attached to the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment. As civil servants they are entitled to move within the Department and the wider Civil Service. I have no proposals to change the method of staffing of the office.
The Director of Consumer Affairs was established by the Consumer Information Act, 1978, which stipulates that the office of director shall be independent in the exercise of her functions. I have at all times respected the independence of the Director of Consumer Affairs in the performance of the functions of her office and will continue to do so.
