Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

It is the normal arrangement that when Ministers travel abroad in the course or performance of their duties, their travel expenses and accommodation are paid for by the State agency on behalf of which they are travelling. It is right that this should be the case because the Minister is conducting duties in performance of his or her office. I am sure that lessons are being learned from the various issues arising out of FÁS. Mr. Ed O'Sullivan, a former Secretary General at the Department of Finance with responsibility for the public service, is the interim chief executive officer and is au fait with the various guidelines in respect of these matters. He also has an overall capacity to help guide the agency in the transition period pending the appointment of a long-term head of the organisation.

It is my view that those issues which have arisen are lessons to be learned and actions to be taken in changing a culture that may have grown up over many years and aspects of those arrangements which we would find unsatisfactory. From my point of view, it is under a leadership now that will ensure that the culture of public service is manifest and above public reproach in terms of moderation that is displayed as people go about their business in an appropriate way and are not seen to be extravagant.

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