Fine Gael has called on the Government to end FAS’s existing overseas recruitment drive because of increased economic uncertainty at home.
"At a time when the ERSI is predicting that unemployment in this country will double during the next two years, it should be concentrating it resources for the serious issue of long-term unemployment," said the party's enterprise and employment spokesman, Mr Charles Flanagan TD.
"FAS should stick to it own proper role - training and employment services for Irish people. There was never much economic sense in FAS providing a recruitment service for overseas workers."
Fine Gael has called it extraordinary that present FAS budgets allows it to conduct ‘overseas endeavours’ at a time of tightened eligibility conditions for FAS schemes throughout the country.
"The T´anaiste should take an immediate and close look at the policy priorities and budget of FAS. It would be more appropriate that FAS devote training resources to this source of labour supply rather than grandiose overseas schemes," said Mr Flanagan.