Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)

I thank the Minister for her reply and welcome the clarification as regards apprenticeship courses and courses to do with construction to the effect that they are absolutely 100% in the clear. The Minister said some 7,700 cases are being looked at. In other words their processing is being held up. These relate to the non-apprenticeship and non-construction course studies. Obviously for FETAC to identify the need to do those 17 audits in 17 different locations meant that serious issues had arisen. My problem is that I have failed to get an answer from the Minister today, and from parliamentary questions addressed to FÁS as to what exactly the issues are surrounding these 53 people. I shall ask the Minister again. Is it the case that 53 certificates over six courses were requested, and either the persons concerned had not actually sat an examination or repeated an exam? We know that there were hundreds of cases in courses around the country where the results had been manipulated. Does that refer to these manipulated courses, specifically, or not?

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