Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

The Committee of Public Accounts has been discussing this matter for some time with various members of staff from FÁS. The committee will be making recommendations for consideration, while the interim chief executive has experience that is being brought to bear on the lessons to be learned at the agency. The legislative basis upon which we operate, such as codes of conduct, the Ethics in Public Office Act 1995, the Standards in Public Office Act 2001 and so on, are all complied with by Ministers. It is a matter for State agencies to ensure that the arrangements made are in line with guidelines devised by themselves and approved by the Minister, or in line with the general Department of Finance guidelines that apply to these matters.

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