Seán Haughey (Dublin North Central, Fianna Fail)

I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. Even though FÁS will either provide itself or contract with private firms for the training of over 100,000 learners in 2009, it is the Tánaiste's view and, I am sure, the view of all Members of the House that it is crucial we can have full confidence that each one of those learners has received appropriately certified training. We must ensure, therefore, that our system of training and its certification is robust and secure.

We must also ensure that we spend scarce public resources appropriately to ensure we get maximum value for every euro we spend on training, whether it is directly provided by FÁS or contracted out to private firms.

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