Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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641. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if she and bodies under her aegis have engaged private investigation companies or persons in the past three years to date; and if so, the cost, duration and purpose of these engagements of this type of contractor. [25829/21]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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I wish to advise the Deputy that two agencies under the remit of my Department have engaged private investigation companies in the past three years to date. 

Insolvency Service of Ireland (ISI)

The principal functions of the ISI include administering the estates of bankrupts. Bankruptcy is a process where the ownership of an insolvent person’s property transfers to the Official Assignee in Bankruptcy to be sold by them for the benefit of those to whom the individual owes money (creditors). In carrying out this role the Official Assignee has engaged private investigation companies or contractors in cases where bankruptcy estates are highly complex or where there has been material non-disclosure by individuals who have been adjudicated bankrupt.

The cost of engaging private investigators is set out by year in the table below:

No costs have been incurred to date in 2021.

Private Security Authority

In 2019, the Private Security Authority engaged two private investigation companies for 50 hours each at a total cost of €4,674 (incl. VAT) to undertake online searches with a view to identifying the provision of unlicensed activities in the CCTV and intruder alarm sectors.