Sorca Clarke (Longford-Westmeath, Sinn Fein)
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96. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of staff employed by the ODCE at the beginning of June 2021. [35975/21]

Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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On 1June 2021 38 civilian staff (35.3 whole time equivalents) and 10 members of An Garda Síochána were seconded to the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement (ODCE).

The Companies (Corporate Enforcement Authority) Bill 2020 when enacted will provide for the establishment of the Corporate Enforcement Authority (CEA) and will provide the organisation with greater autonomy and flexibility in terms of the ability to recruit staff with the necessary skills mix and depth of experience.

In preparation for the establishment of the CEA, my Department has increased the budget of the ODCE by €1 million over the 2018 base level. Following an assessment by the ODCE of the staffing needs for the CEA, the Department sanctioned the 14 additional civil servants requested. This represents an increase of 20% in the level of funding to the ODCE and an increase of 35% in the number of civilian staff to enable the Authority to undertake its new functions. A recruitment campaign through the Public Appointments Service is expected to commence shortly.