Inquiry into FAS company's delisting

The manner in which the Omlink company in Co Meath was appointed and then delisted as an approved FÁS trainer is to be investigated by the Minister of State for Enterprise and Employment, Mr Tony Killeen.

The Minister of State said a second company had also been delisted.

This was revealed in the Dáil last night after the Fine Gael spokesman on enterprise and employment, Mr Phil Hogan,said he believed the company was no longer listed on the FÁS website.

"However, it does beg the question about how the company was approved in the first place. Given the unusual circumstances in which this company was approved as an assessment centre, particularly the fact that it had been suspended from a similar scheme operated by FÁS's counterparts in Northern Ireland and Britain, who recommended the approval? Did FÁS know that the company was under suspension in Northern Ireland?"

He called for an independent investigation into the competence of training and assessment associated with FÁS-sponsored construction skills programmes.

Mr Hogan said: "How many other questionable approvals have been given? How many construction workers have been given skill certificates by firms which were not up to standard, and clearly in breach of legal requirements under the Safety Health and Welfare at Work (Construction) Regulations 2001?

"I understand that there are 30,000 people with skill certification in the construction industry. We cannot underestimate the importance of people operating tower cranes or driving diggers and excavators having the right training. This is a serious public safety issue."

He said when his attention was brought to the high level of construction accidents, over 90 deaths in four years, he raised these issues with the FÁS director general. "I am disappointed that his reply was fairly economical on the issue of how many firms had been delisted."

Mr Killeen said he would pursue the questions raised, particularly with FÁS. "I will return to him with further information."