Mattie McGrath (Tipperary South, Fianna Fail)

It is with a heavy heart that I stand here this evening to speak on this Private Members' motion on what happened at FÁS. I can remember a good many years ago when we started off with AnCO and then moved on to FÁS. I mention the organisation's many schemes, such as the community employment schemes, the social economy schemes and community service programmes, its proud history and the valuable work that has been done in transforming our country's graveyards, playing fields, community services programmes, day care centres, community alert, visiting of the elderly and social services.

As a cathaoirleach of a community employment scheme employing five and an excellent supervisor in my parish, I must pay tribute to the many sponsor groups which had the initiative to seek these schemes out for a number of purposes to get their parishes and communities up and running and to take their proud place. With regard to tidy towns and tidy villages, I would mention Emily in my county which won the tidy towns competition this year.

I also must praise the supervisors, who do an excellent job under all kinds of pressures from everybody, and of course the schemes' participants who otherwise would be on the dole queues and generate a significant tab which would have to be paid for by social welfare. They have given of their time for little more than what they would earn on the dole.

I have taken issue with the Minister of State, Deputy Kelleher, and with Deputy Quinn when he was the Minister visiting Tipperary years ago, on the question of enhancing these schemes. The Minister of State and others were shocked by the number of participants we had in south Tipperary. This was because we had committees - some of which were limited companies by guarantee to safeguard themselves but most of which were voluntary groups - set up which were willing to enable these schemes to take place and which helped all of the participants to take part, and undertook the onerous duties of employment legislation, workers rights and health and safety. The voluntary boards did so much work, as did the participants and the supervisors.

A special thanks must go to the FÁS local officers. I will mention a few here with whom I deal - Mr. Liam O'Brien in Tipperary, and Ms Catherine Corbett, Ms Mary O'Keeffe and Mr. Tom Murphy in Waterford - who are top-class officials in FÁS with impeccable records.

We have annual audits carried out by accountants and every ha'penny is accounted for. I remember a scheme where socks were provided with the safety boots and there was a considerable issue over why we provided those at a cost a couple of euro. Then one sees what happened at the top involving a small number where greed came into it and gave a bad name to everyone in FÁS.

I wish the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the best of luck in trying to sort out the mess and in the restructuring of the board. It is a pity this happened. We have a long way to go and many corrections to make. It is a scandal and such a shame for FÁS workers on the ground who are providing such valuable services. The controversy is destroying the morale of the committees, the supervisors and the many hundreds, if not thousands, of good officials in FÁS.

It is my strong belief that CE schemes and the other schemes must be broadened as they provide excellent services to communities. FÁS must be refocused to concentrate on the services on the ground, cut out the waste at the top and pump the money into the local schemes, the jobs clubs and local training. It needs to return to its roots and the purpose for which it was set up in the first place. That is why I am calling for the re-establishment of FÁS from the top down to rebuild it and set it back to where it was.

The Minister of State, Deputy Kelleher, will be aware that a few months ago I raised an issue here which was a significant problem in my constituency, namely the closure of a jobs club in Carrick-on-Suir, which, as most Members will be aware, is an unemployment black spot. The Carrick-on-Suir jobs club dealt with 850 clients per year in the past three years and placed approximately 100 persons in jobs or further training each year, and it was summarily dismissed.

Two members of staff who were employed with Carrick-on-Suir jobs club were made redundant when the jobs club closed down. It so happened that this occurred the same week the famous Mr. Molloy resigned over controversy, and look what a pay-out he got. These two staff members were not involved in any expenses controversy whatsoever. Unlike Mr. Molloy, they did not receive a golden handshake. In fact, up until today they have not received their statutory redundancy payments. It is an outrage and a disgrace.

That is a clear example of what is going on in FÁS. The top people made decisions to cut everything at bottom level while they were living it up. This must be addressed. FÁS must be re-established on a creditable basis.

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