Vol. 521 No. 1
60 Mr. Hayes asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if she will report on the additional resources that have been made available to the Competition Authority; the number of new staff which have been appointed; if she has arranged for members of the Garda Síochána to be specifically assigned to work with the Competition Authority; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16525/00]
106 Mr. Stanton asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if, further to Parliamentary Question No. 89 of 23 March 2000, the study being undertaken with a view to assessing the future resource requirements of the Competition Authority has been completed; if so, if she will give the details; if not, when she expects this study to be completed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16722/00]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 60 and 106 together.
As a result of recent decisions, the Competition Authority now has authorised staffing numbers of 29 – one full-time chairman, four full-time members, 12 professional staff – five legal advisers and seven economists – and 12 clerical-administrative staff. This includes the additional five professional staff which I announced last week.
There is a number of vacancies in the authority. Arrangements for the recruitment of economists arising from a recent competition are well advanced and interviews are being held this week for legal advisers. The recruitment process to fill the new posts will begin soon under the auspices of the Civil Service Commission.
The new chairman, Dr. John Fingleton, took up appointment last month and a new member, Dr. Paul Gorecki, has just taken up his appointment. Both have been appointed following an open competitive interview process held earlier this year.
In addition, my Department, together with the authority, is currently involved with outside consultants in a study of the authority's operations with a view to having its future resource requirements assessed. All staffing issues, including the possibility of assigning gardaí to the authority, are being dealt with in the study.
I am fully committed to ensuring that the authority is adequately resourced to discharge its important statutory functions.
