I propose to take Questions Nos. 175 and 176 together.
An exercise to estimate the budgetary requirements for the establishment of the Corporate Enforcement Authority (CEA) commenced in 2018. At that point, the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement’s (ODCE) annual budget was €5.057m. Following an assessment of the CEA’s resourcing needs upon its establishment, the 2018 baseline was increased by circa €1m in the 2019 budget to €6.057m.
This level has been repeated subsequently in anticipation of the establishment of the new Authority. As the Deputy will be aware, delays arose in progressing the legislation over that period, but with the finalisation of the Joint Committee’s Pre Legislative Scrutiny, I intend to revert to Cabinet shortly for the publication of the Bill which will establish the CEA. I would hope that the Bill could be enacted in the Autumn session paving the way for the establishment of the CEA next year.
The Department also sanctioned an additional 14 staff at civil service grades to the ODCE which would represent a 35% increase in such staff. A recruitment campaign is in the final stages of preparation.
The ODCE was allocated a total of €6.057 million from my Department’s Vote for 2021. Using this as a basis, the table below provides the estimated cost of increasing the Office's funding by 5%, 10%, 20% and 50%.
Basis
|
Increase
5%
|
Increase
10%
|
Increase
20%
|
Increase
50%
|
€6.057m
|
€302k
|
€606k
|
€1.211m
|
€3.028m
|