Staffing at the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement has fallen by more than 18% since 2010, according to figures released by the Government, or 24.5% when the number of gardaí working in the office is included.
In response to a parliamentary question from Fianna Fáil’s Spokesperson on Jobs Niall Collins TD, Minister for Jobs Mary Mitchell O’Connell said that there were 35 people employed in the ODCE last year.
That compares to 43 in 2010, with reductions in staffing across a number of senior grades.
The number of Gardaí working at the ODCE has also fallen, from ten in 2010 to five last year.
The ODCE is tasked with ensuring that businesses operating in Ireland comply with the Companies Act and has powers of enforcement including the pursuit of criminal prosecution.
Mr Collins described the staffing levels at the office as “dangerously low” and said the situation could hinder its ability to identify and deal with issues.
“White collar crime can have no place in the Irish economy,” he said.
“Without adequate staffing support, due to the retirement of existing staff and delays in filling vacant roles, the ODCE’s ability to stamp out white collar crime is being severely hampered.”
In a statement Minister Mitchell O’Connell said the structure of the ODCE, including its staffing, had been reviewed by its director Ian Drennan following his appointment in 2012.
Following this the office sought sanction to recruit a number of new accountants, which has seen staffing in that area grow from two to five since 2010.
The office is seeking to hire another two accountants, while more recently it has been given approval to recruit a digital forensics specialist.
The statement also says that a “combination of retirement, promotion and transfer” has led to three vacancies at senior enforcement level.
Meanwhile retirements will also leave three vacancies in the office’s Garda compliment, which the director has sought to have filled as a matter of urgency.
However the number of gardaí working at the ODCE will not return to the levels seen between 2010 and 2013, as that reflected the additional resources given to the office during its investigation into Anglo Irish Bank.
