Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 21 Mar 2002

Vol. 550 No. 5

Written Answers. - Competition Authority.

Thomas P. Broughan

Question:

60 Mr. Broughan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the steps she intends to take to ensure that the Competition Authority is provided with adequate resources, having regard to the warning contained in the authority's strategy statement that it will be unable to carry out its functions due to inadequate funding; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9464/02]

Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment (Ms Harney):

The Competition Authority has been provided with adequate resources and its current authorised staffing levels correspond to the outcome of a review by the consultants, Deloitte & Touche, of the structure, operations, resource requirements, business processes and IT systems in the authority. The central recommendation of the review was that the staffing complement of the authority be increased to 44, a level which I am satisfied will be sufficient for the authority's statutory responsibilities going forward. Prior to the review, the authorised complement was 24. The 20 additional posts cover a range of grades and the process of filling the vacancies is now almost complete.

The authority's budget in the period 1998 to 2002 has increased from a figure of €1.111 million to €3.33 million representing a recognition of my commitment to ensuring that the authority has adequate resources to discharge its statutory responsibilities. I have received a copy of the Competition Authority's strategy statement which refersinter alia to the need for the authority to have adequate resources to discharge its statutory responsibilities. References to adequate resources are natural in any planning or strategy statement and I will continue to keep the resources requirement of the authority under review in the light of any additional responsibilities which it is undertaking.