The Corporate Enforcement Authority (CEA), which is responsible for enforcing company law, refused to fill vacant garda roles in the body in a dispute over the powers of its chief executive, Ian Drennan.
Mr Drennan also sought the outward transfer of four gardaí previously seconded to the authority. He said “fresh ideas, perspectives and experience” were needed and that replacement gardaí will be assigned in due course.
The chief executive provided details of the dispute in the CEA’s annual report which was published this week. It is the first time he has publicly commented on tensions within the CEA which have led to allegations of a toxic work environment in the organisation.
Mr Drennan said, during 2024, the CEA experienced “an unprecedented unwillingness to accept decisions, as well as difficulty in obtaining information, explanations, and clarifications sought in respect of criminal enforcement activity.”
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He did not specify to whom he was referring, but referenced disputes over the CEA’s entitlement to oversee officers’ work and arguments regarding the “true nature” of secondments of gardaí.
One of the key areas in dispute was whether seconded gardaí are subject to CEA supervision and oversight, he said.
Dealing with these arguments, which Mr Drennan called a significant distraction, led to financial expense and absorbed “considerable senior management time” during the year, he said.
The chief executive said if arguments over the CEA’s power were advanced to their logical conclusion, it might have to “completely cease its criminal enforcement activity pending, potentially very significant, legislative amendment”.
As a result, the CEA decided to “temporarily defer” the filling of vacant garda roles in the authority in October 2024.
There are normally 16 gardaí seconded to the CEA, but this number has been depleted recently due to retirements and transfers.
Mr Drennan said it was later determined these arguments did not reflect the statutory regime underpinning the CEA. In early 2025, it recommenced engagement with the Garda regarding vacancies.
Regarding gardaí assigned to the CEA whose secondments were rescinded, Mr Drennan said as a growing organisation, the authority must “renew its criminal investigative capabilities”.
“In particular, it is important that the organisation’s criminal investigative complement periodically benefit from fresh ideas, perspectives and experience.”
He said in this context, he requested Garda Commissioner Drew Harris “to rescind the secondments of four secondees”.
New gardaí will be assigned in due course, “through a combination of both temporary transfer and through competitive processes”, he said.
The four seconded gardaí objected to the move and were represented in talks with management by the Garda Representative Association (GRA), it is understood.
A least one civilian staff member has also this year lodged a case with the Workplace Relations Commission over their work conditions.
In a meeting with Minister for Enterprise Peter Burke last March, Mr Drennan said a cultural audit of the organisation was to take place as part of a new strategy. The audit will be carried out by an outside body.
The ODCE was rebranded as the CEA in 2022 following significant public criticism over its handling of the prosecution of former Anglo Irish Bank chief executive and chairman Seán FitzPatrick.
The late banker was accused of misleading Anglo’s auditors about millions of euro worth of loans during the banking crisis.
In 2017, following a 126-day trial, all charges were dropped on the direction of the court.
The judge criticised the ODCE’s handling of the case and said its inquiries had fallen short of the unbiased, impartial, balanced investigation to which the accused was entitled.
