Department and Fás directors at odds

RODDY MOLLOY'S CAR:Seemingly contradictory statements concerning the car of the former Fás director general, Rody Molloy, were made yesterday by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment and Fás directors.

The department said its secretary general, Seán Gorman, would clarify matters to do with Mr Molloy’s €1 million

severance package at the next meeting of the Dáil Public Accounts Committee.

“In the meantime it can be confirmed that the car was not part of the severance package negotiated with the department and sanctioned by the Department of Finance.

It was a matter for the Fás board which agreed to allow retention of this vehicle.”

However, an hour after that statement, Fás directors, speaking after a board meeting, said the car was negotiated by

Mr Molloy with the department on the night Mr Molloy agreed to resign.

The granting of the car had to be approved by the Fás board and the board subsequently approved it, in a split vote.

Mr Molloy was allowed keep his two-year-old Audi A6. If the board had

voted otherwise, it would have interfered with a package that had already been agreed, director Niall Saul said.

Director Des Geraghty said there would be a “very different mood” if the issue were being discussed now.