Departmental Agencies.

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 10 November 2009

Tuesday, 10 November 2009

Questions (74)

Fergus O'Dowd

Question:

132 Deputy Fergus O’Dowd asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment further to Parliamentary Questions Nos. 130, 131, 132, 135 and 136 of 21 October 2009, if she has received a reply from FÁS relating to these issues; the reason, in view of the firm’s acceptance in April 2007 that assessment material had been manipulated on one contract, FÁS, and the private firm did not ensure that the same thing did not occur on subsequent contracts; if FÁS will be able to recover from the firm the cost of retraining and recertifying the trainees; if FÁS plans to establish if there is a basis for seeking to have this firm removed from the FÁS and Enterprise Ireland national register of trainers; the action FÁS is taking to ensure that events of this nature cannot recur; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40112/09]

Written answers

Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment (Deputy Mary Coughlan)

I am advised by FÁS that the issues that arose with this company since April 2007 are being reviewed. Pending the outcome of this review, FÁS has advised that it will introduce a system whereby issues of potential serious non-compliance by trainers in particular regions are brought to the immediate attention of senior management for resolution and referred to the National Register of Trainers for a determination as appropriate.

FÁS is currently taking advice on the options for recovery of funds from the firm in question.

FÁS has also:

commenced a review of all courses where potential non-compliance instances have been identified by them;

initiated a review of all contracted training programmes;

authorized the full implementation of a revised quality management system to enhance quality control standards.