Vol. 510 No. 2
71 Mr. Stanton asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if, further to Parliamentary Question No. 99 of 24 March 1999, the changes which were to occur in relation to the role and structure of FÁS have taken place; if so, if she will give details in this regard; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22034/99]
On 25 March 1999 the Government decided – Government Decision S180/20/10/0217 – to put in place new organisational arrangements for the management, development and operation of the national employment service function. This involves the assimilation of the Local Employment Service – LES – under FÁS and the establishment of an employment service advisory committee which will have responsibility for advising the FÁS board on all components of the national employment service function, including the LES. Furthermore, the operational management of the LES will be transferred from my Department to FAS, under the direction of the advisory committee and operational management of the LES Subhead will transfer from my Department to FÁS with effect from the year 2000.
It is expected that the advisory committee will hold its inaugural meeting before the end of this year and that the operational process for bringing the LES service within the ambit of FÁS will also be in train by then.
In my earlier reply, I referred to the impending transfer to FÁS of certain employment and vocational training services for people with disabilities which are currently administered by the National Rehabilitation Board – NRB. This transfer of responsibilities is just one part of a wider restructuring of the NRB's services. It has been agreed that all elements of the NRB re-structuring will take place together.
The transfer of services to FÁS has not yet taken place as there were delays in finalising arrangements for the transfer of some elements of the NRB's other services. I understand that the matters in question have now largely been resolved. The target date for the completion of the transfer of NRB's services to FÁS is now the end of March 2000.
In a further change to the role and structure of FÁS, in June of this year, 25 personnel transferred from FÁS to Enterprise Ireland to facilitate the delivery of training schemes as part of a comprehensive business development service to Enterprise Ireland's clients.
