Vol. 518 No. 6
124 Mr. Neville asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if she will allocate additional resources to the Competition Authority to enable it to do its work in view of the fact that its reply, to a complaint dated 3 March 1999 regarding co-operative creameries, advises that at present it is not in a position to pursue the matter due to a lack of resources. [12593/00]
The current situation in regard to authorised numbers is that the authority is comprised of one full-time chairman, four full-time members, seven professional staff, that is, two legal advisers and five economists, and 12 clerical-administrative staff.
Over the past eight months, the chairman and one full time member of the authority together with five professional staff two legal advisers and three economists have resigned to take up alternative employment.
The present staffing situation undoubtedly constrains the authority in discharging its functions. However, steps have been taken to fill all the vacancies as quickly as possible.
Dr. John Fingleton has taken up appointment to fill the vacant post of chairman of the authority and Dr. Paul Gorecki will fill the vacant post of member of the authority in June. Both have been appointed following an open competitive interview process held earlier this year. The vacancies for professional staff are being filled by competitions currently being held under the auspices of the Civil Service Commission.
In addition, my Department, together with the authority, has now initiated a study of the authority's operations with a view to having its future resource requirements assessed. I am fully committed to ensuring that the authority is both adequately resourced to discharge its important statutory functions and also to assist the authority to retain such resources. I will speedily address the issues in the study when it is completed.
