Tánaiste says Fás board addressing financial issues

Tánaiste Mary Coughlan has been assured by the leadership of Fás that measures are being taken to address financial scandals at the State training agency, she said in a statement tonight.

Ms Couglan met the Fás chairman and some board members today and “reiterated her disquiet” at the recent revelations of lavish spending at the agency’s corporate affairs division.

She said she “welcomed the board’s assurance that action had now been taken to deal with these matters”.

The statement said the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment told the board that Fás needed to focus on its core mission, “given the employment and training challenges currently facing the country”.

Ms Coughlan said she said the board had been working to address the issues raised by a special audit inquiry into expenditures by the corporate affairs division of the agency in the period 2000 to 2004.

These were referred to in the report by Comptroller and Auditor General John Buckley currently under consideration by the Public Accounts Committee.

Mr Buckley,is expected to open a separate investigation once the PAC has concluded its own inquiries.

Ms Coughlan said she looked forward to Mr Buckley beginning this inquiry, which she requested in September.