John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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239. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills her plans to continue the overseas graduate programme which was operated by FÁS; if analysis of the programme was undertaken; if so, if the outcomes were published; if graduates who availed of the scheme have been contacted to assess their view or value to them of the scheme; the reason it was discontinued; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5340/15]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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The FÁS Overseas Graduate Programme (OGP), which began in 1983, placed newly qualifying graduates with honours degrees in Business, Engineering or the Sciences, into full-time employment with companies in Japan and China. The overarching aim of the Programme was to increase the number of Irish qualifying graduates with top quality international experience in their chosen discipline, thereby enhancing the capability of Ireland to trade internationally.

Officials in the then Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment carried out a review of the programme in early 2010. At that time, the core remit of FÁS was to focus its training and employment programmes on those cohorts who were most likely to remain unemployed. Following the review, it was decided that this programme did not fit with that core remit and that it would be inappropriate for FÁS to retain responsibility for its management and the programme was closed down.

At that time Enterprise Ireland managed a comparable overseas programme, aimed at graduates in almost identical disciplines. The overarching objective of the Enterprise Ireland's International Graduate Programme is the provision of in-depth international marketing experience to graduates to ensure that they can contribute to the success of emerging Irish companies in rapidly changing international business environments. I understand that this programme is still being managed by Enterprise Ireland.