Jimmy Devins (Sligo-North Leitrim, Fianna Fail)

I thank Deputy Costello for raising this issue.

I will outline briefly the respective roles FÁS and the Tánaiste play in training and employment offices. The Tánaiste's role is to provide public funding and overall policy direction to FÁS rather than to get involved in its day to day operational management. Decisions of this nature are day to day operational matters for FÁS as part of its responsibilities under the Labour Services Act 1987.

Before I address the Deputy's specific concern about the FÁS office in Jervis Street, I will make a general comment on the facilities it offer its clients on a countrywide level, as well as setting out the financial commitment this Government has made in recent years in ensuring that FÁS continues to provide high quality services to its customers.

Through a regional network of 66 offices and 20 training centres, FÁS provides a comprehensive nationwide service of training programmes as well as providing a recruitment service to jobseekers, an advisory resource for industry and support mechanisms for community-based enterprises. In the past five years the Department invested more than €125 million in capital expenditure alone to ensure that FÁS continues to provide the highest quality facilities for its customers throughout its network. This investment includes a new state of the art training centre in Tallaght and a complete refurbishment of an existing facility in Ballyfermot. Major refurbishment projects have also been carried out on FÁS facilities in Finglas, Cork, Sligo and Limerick.

To turn to the Deputy's concern regarding the closure of its facilities in Jervis Street, Dublin 1, I understand from FÁS that this facility consists of a training centre, employment services office and also houses the city centre community services staff. It is the second busiest employment service office in the country, and together with D'Olier House, Dublin 2, accounts for more than 30% of employment services activity in the country. FÁS has been using these two city centre facilities since the early eighties. In 2006 the landlord of the premises at Jervis Street was granted planning permission to develop the site and had requested FÁS to vacate the building. Notwithstanding this the lease for the premises in Jervis Street will expire in July this year. FÁS has made arrangements for a suitable alternative ground floor location in the area for employment services and community services. These services will be located in Parnell Street, close to the existing premises.

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