The reply is as follows:
No. of staff1 serving in the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement (ODCE) (2016-2020)
GRADE
|
2016
|
2017
|
2018
|
2019
|
2020
|
Director
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
Corporate Compliance Manager
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
Legal Adviser
|
2
|
1
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
Principal Solicitor
|
1
|
0
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
Enforcement Portfolio Manager
|
-
|
2
|
2
|
2
|
2
|
Enforcement Lawyer (PO)
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
2
|
Digital Forensic Specialist
|
-
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
Principal Officer
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
Professional Accountant Grade 1
|
5
|
5
|
7
|
4
|
4
|
Solicitor
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
Assistant Principal Officer
|
3
|
3
|
4
|
3
|
3
|
Higher Executive Officer
|
8
|
7
|
8
|
9
|
8
|
Executive Officer
|
5
|
6
|
6
|
6
|
6
|
Clerical Officer
|
8
|
7
|
8
|
8
|
8
|
Total
|
35
|
35
|
39
|
36
|
37
|
Gardai 2
|
5
|
7
|
7
|
7
|
7
|
1. Refers to number of people not FTE’s (i.e. not Full Time Equivalents where 2 people working a week on, week off pattern would equal 1 FTE)
2. A staff complement of 7 Gardaí is assigned to the ODCE to assist with its criminal investigation / prosecution functions.
Table below sets out the allocations and outturn as requested:
Office of Director of Corporate Enforcement:
REV Allocations
|
Pay
(€,000)
|
Non-Pay
(€,000)
|
Total
(€,000)
|
Outturn
(€,000)
|
2016
|
2,808
|
2,207
|
5,015
|
2,728
|
2017
|
2,838
|
2,057
|
4,895
|
3,014
|
2018
|
3,000
|
2,057
|
5,057
|
3,702
|
2019
|
3,740
|
2,317
|
6,057
|
4,300
|
2020
|
3,740
|
2,317
|
6,057
|
1,267*
|
*Provisional figure
There are currently four vacancies in the ODCE, one Corporate Compliance Manager and three Forensic Accountants.
In relation to the post of Corporate Compliance Manager, the current Director is considering this as part of a significant restructuring of the ODCE that he has undertaken to better reflect the organisation’s needs in the context of both its strategic shift towards deploying resources towards more serious indications of wrongdoing and the increasingly complex environment within which the ODCE operates.
That restructuring has included the seeking of sanction for the recruitment of a substantial number of additional professional staff, and following receipt of sanction, the recruitment of eight accounting professionals (one of whom was promoted to Enforcement Portfolio Manager), two Enforcement Portfolio Managers and a Digital Forensics Specialist, together with significant investment in a digital forensics laboratory, training and development. The recruitment and assimilation of a large number of new professional staff into a multi-disciplinary organisation that undertakes complex work in a fast-moving environment is a project that requires careful management. As such, the Director is of the view that it is preferable to allow that process to fully bed down before filling the Corporate Compliance manager vacancy. The Director is further conscious of the fact that the transition of the ODCE to an independent Agency will give rise to additional expertise requirements and, as such, is of the view that it is prudent that those considerations should be factored into developing the role, and associated skill set, required of the appointee.
My Office is actively engaging with PAS in relation to filling the Professional Accountant Grade 1 posts.