Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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Question 128: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if she is satisfied that grants made by FÁS to business representative organisations and trade union organisations for training programmes were used solely for this purpose; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44664/08]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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FÁS has informed me that it has made payments to business organisations and trade unions for the provision of training programmes under the Competency Development Programme and under the Community Employment scheme.

As part of the Competency Development Programme, FÁS has contractual agreements or "Strategic Alliances" with a number of business representative organisations and trade unions. These contracts are for the development and delivery of training and for the provision of related supports, examples of which include the establishment of a union learning network and the appointment and subsequent training of individuals to act as local union learning advocates.

There are a number of controls in place to ensure that funds are spent on the purpose for which they were intended. I am informed by FAS that it is standard practice that contracts are the subject of a comprehensive tendering process and are subsequently approved by the Board of FÁS.

In addition, I understand from FAS that normally the amounts paid are based on the value of each contract, and a pre-determined rate per training day is paid in arrears on receipt of an invoice from the trainer for a specific number of training days. The trainer is required to supply the name and PPS number of each individual participant trained along with over 30 other necessary items of information. In addition, in some cases funding is also provided for training resource or course development and other related support mechanisms as detailed in each individual contract.

Furthermore, my Department is currently undertaking a Value for Money review of the FAS Competency Development Programme. This review is examining the various strands of the Competency Development Programme including the Strategic Alliance initiatives detailed above. It is expected that this review will be completed in the first quarter of next year.

I have also been informed by FÁS that they monitor projects under the Community Employment Scheme to ensure that monies are spent appropriately. Under the Community Employment scheme FÁS currently funds 23 Community Employment schemes sponsored by the Irish Congress of Trade Unions to assist in running their resource centres for the unemployed. There are a total of 515 participants on these schemes. The budget for these schemes covers allowances, training and materials, and is not paid to ICTU but to the specific project, which has its own Board of Management.