Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)

Following the debate of the last two days, I would like to make a few points on the matters raised by the Deputies, and about the duties and responsibilities of FÁS. Since May 2008, the Tánaiste has quickly taken appropriate and effective action as soon as issues emerged about FÁS. It was the Tánaiste who requested the Comptroller and Auditor General to consider undertaking a special review of FÁS, and he acceded to that request. A copy of the report that deals with the examination of advertising and promotion in FÁS, and which forms part of the investigation, was laid before this House and is now the subject of examination by the Committee of Public Accounts. I understand from the Comptroller and Auditor General that a further report will be issued in the coming months, which will examine the arrangements for internal control and governance that existed in FÁS.

In November 2008, after initial intense negotiations on the terms of his departure, the then director general tendered his resignation following reports of excessive travel expenditure in the organisation and he has been replaced by a new and exemplary director general. Yesterday, the Tánaiste published the Labour Services (Amendment) Bill 2009, which addresses a number of the recommendations of the Committee of Public Accounts regarding the size and composition of the board of FÁS. The Bill also includes a specific provision designed to provide a level of protection for so-called whistleblowers, which will further facilitate identification of any future irregularities in the organisation.

Last month the live register fell by 16,500 people. While it is traditional for the live register to fall in September, the level of decrease compared to last year suggests an improvement in the unemployment figures. However, 423,600 people remain on the live register and the Government is committed to continuing to provide these individuals with the necessary assistance during this difficult period.

To respond to the increasing numbers of people on the live register, the Department is working closely with the Department of Social and Family Affairs and the Department of Education and Science to ensure that appropriate responses are developed and put in place to meet the up-skilling needs of those who are losing their jobs or facing uncertain employment prospects. It is the response to that situation which should now be our focus, particularly the response to the situation of the new unemployed, who may need a different, tailored response to that on offer.

FÁS employment services, together with the local employment services, have put in place measures to double their job search support capacity to cater for the rise in referrals from the Department of Social and Family Affairs. In addition, the employment subsidy scheme will protect up to 27,400 vulnerable but viable jobs in the manufacturing or internationally traded service sectors that are currently engaged in exporting. This scheme will involve the payment of a subsidy to firms to retain an agreed level of jobs. Enterprise Ireland is currently considering the applications under this scheme. In time, the Tánaiste will review the scheme to ensure that it has maximum impact on sectors that are strategically important for our economy.

I would like to endorse what Deputy O'Sullivan said about the work of the majority of the staff in FÁS. I have had the pleasure of working with some of the FÁS staff in her region on their application for the globalisation fund. They were exemplary and completely in touch with the needs of those who are unemployed. I fully agree that they have been let down by the minority of senior management who have done this to the organisation. We in this House owe it to all the FÁS staff to endorse the work that they are doing on a daily basis, and to endorse their probity and commitment, not just to the organisation, but to the people that they serve. It has been difficult enough for them to face the increasing number of unemployed, but it has been unfair to have to face these other challenges. I am glad to see that most speakers in this debate are in agreement with these views.

The Tánaiste has responded quickly and effectively to issues relating to FÁS as they presented themselves. She has at all times worked to ensure that the organisation can refocus to address the key challenge of unemployment through its job search, training and employment programmes in this changing economic environment.

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