Ulick Burke (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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Question 5: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment her views on granting a special derogation to FÁS in order for them to be able to recruit the necessary professional training personnel to support persons facing future redundancy and unemployment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14901/09]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The recruitment and promotion moratorium in respect of the public service is necessary as the public service pay and pensions bill, at some €20 billion per annum, accounts for some 36% of total Government expenditure. Savings in the pay bill must contribute to the overall strategy to stabilise the public finances.

Whilst FÁS as a government agency is obliged to comply with this moratorium this will not affect its ability to contract out certain training services where there is no in-house expertise within the Agency. Contracted training therefore, where appropriate, will continue in the normal way.

Following the additional training places announced in the Budget, FÁS will now be providing over 128,000 activation and training places this year. These places will encompass a range of measures being adopted by the Government to reflect the reality that people at all skills levels are losing their jobs and that it is important to provide a mix of responses in training and education best suited to the diverse needs of the newly unemployed to ensure that they possess relevant skills and remain close to the labour market.