Dominic Hannigan (Meath East, Labour)
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Question 91: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the provision FÁS have for including or compensating private training firms who lose pupils to FÁS when FÁS start to offer a competing training course in an area for free over their own course; if such a scheme exists; the way FÁS ensures that a training course is not already available in an area before it develops a training course in that area; if it would be more financially viable for FÁS to pay for pupils to be enrolled in the private course as opposed to developing new courses; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33880/11]

Ciarán Cannon (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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Over the past three years Government policy has re-focussed the resources and work of FÁS from training for the employed to training for the many newly unemployed persons and jobseekers who come to FÁS seeking assistance. Consequently, the primary client group of FÁS Training Services are unemployed persons, many of whom cannot afford the costs associated with taking up a place on a private training course. In this regard it is not and never has been the intention of FÁS to compete with private training providers. I understand that FÁS Training Services Division has contracted with many private sector training providers to deliver a substantial volume of training to a diverse range of FÁS clients. FÁS Training Services Division is constantly developing new employment-led training programmes and services to address the career and employment aspirations of a range of unemployed persons. These new training initiatives are often piloted by private training providers. Private training providers who are on the FÁS Contracted Training List are available to be invited to tender for the provision of contracted training courses as the need for particular courses arise.

In addition, on occasions, where a FÁS training course is not deemed to be a suitable option, the Technical Employment Support Grant (TESG) may be available to fund clients to undertake training not provided by FÁS or another state body, in the context of an agreed Career Action Plan.