Written answers
Tuesday, 24 February 2009
Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment
Departmental Agencies
11:00 pm
Jim O'Keeffe (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 55: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment her views on the concerns expressed by the Dáil Committee of Public Accounts in relation to FÃS; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7195/09]
Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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I welcome the report on FÃS by the Public Accounts Committee, which was published last week and I commend the Committee for the work carried out in this matter. I will be paying particular attention to the recommendations made and to the underlying rationale for making them. I note that while the report in general concentrates on the things that went wrong, the Committee is of the view that the good work being done by the employees of FÃS should not be overlooked and this examination is no reflection on their role and the valuable contribution they make to Irish life. I fully concur with this view.
Many of the issues contained in the report have already been aired in public. I have previously expressed my concerns in respect of various matters raised by internal audit reports in FÃS and subsequently taken up by the C&AG in an earlier report on a number of public bodies. Since the publication of those reports a series of steps have been undertaken to deal with the matters raised. In particular:
FÃS has clarified its procedures and strengthened its internal controls;
An internal cross-functional communications and marketing strategy group has been established in FÃS;
FÃS has passed certain issues to the Gardaà for investigation;
A new Director General has been appointed on a temporary basis;
The C&AG has commenced a wide-ranging investigation in FÃS, which includes internal controls, governance arrangements, marketing and advertising and specific follow-up of matters raised in the course of hearings of the Committee of Public Accounts;
A review of the Science Challenge Initiative with a view to making recommendations on the Initiative's future is currently underway, and it will be completed shortly.
In my view, FÃS should continue to remain focused on its core mission, given the employment and training challenges currently facing the country. The Board of FÃS has already stated that whatever additional actions are necessary arising from the Report will be fully implemented.
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