Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Question 442: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Science if the Secretary General of her Department will become the Accountancy Officer for FÁS and become accountable to the Committee of Public Accounts and the Comptroller and Auditor General; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13862/10]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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In line with the changes announced by the Taoiseach in relation to the transfer of certain responsibilities from the Department of Enterprise, Trade & Employment responsibility for FÁS as a State Body and the funding related to training and skills will be transferred to my Department which will be renamed the Department of Education and Skills. Responsibility and funding for FÁS Employment Services and Employment Programmes will be transferred to the Department of Social Protection.

The necessary changes will be finalised shortly by Government Order and appropriate funding adjustments will be made in the Estimates. In the meantime current reporting arrangements and responsibilities continue to apply.

The position of the Director General of FÁS in relation to the Committee of Public Accounts and the Comptroller and Auditor General as set out in the Labour Services (Amendment) Act 2009 will remain unchanged on transfer.

The Secretary General of my Department will be accountable to the Committee of Public Accounts and the Comptroller and Auditor General for the disbursement of monies from the Vote of the Department of Education and Science to FÁS. As my Department will have responsibility for FÁS as a state body she will also be accountable to them for issues in this area.