Lack of priority for staffing white collar crime investigations is shocking – Howlin

Labour Party Leader Brendan Howlin TD, has said it is shocking that both the Gardaí and the Government have failed to fill positions in the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement.

This comes after it was established by the This Week programme that a vacancy for a detective inspector position to head up the Garda complement of the ODCE still remains vacant one year on, six months after this vacancy was first revealed in Freedom of Information results.

Deputy Howlin said:

“Over a year has passed since the position of detective inspector with the ODCE became vacant. The fact that the most senior of positions in the ODCE remains unfilled is shocking.

“Out of 13,000 gardaí in the country, the notion that one can’t be found to head up our investigations of white collar crime within the ODCE is not credible.

“Earlier this week, we saw the Government publish their proposals on white collar crime. But it is very difficult to have any confidence in these proposals if the Gardaí and the Department of Justice are unable to fill current positions in the ODCE.

“It is imperative that we have a strong organisation that is fit for purpose to investigate white collar crime in this country.

“We need an organisation like the Securities and Exchange Commission, in the United States that is genuinely feared by those who would trespass against company law.

“But no matter what structure is put in place, the Government cannot continue to fail to ensure that it has the resources necessary to investigate white collar crime.”