FÁS Training Programmes

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 20 January 2011

Thursday, 20 January 2011

Ceisteanna (66, 67, 68)

Fergus O'Dowd

Ceist:

62 Deputy Fergus O’Dowd asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills if she will provide the following information in tabular form for each such year and on the following dates: 1 October 2008, 1 October 2009 and 1 October 2010; the number of persons in permanent employment with FÁS; the number directly employed in the position of training instructor directs; the number employed in administration indirects; the number employed in management roles indirects; the number of additional part-time and or temporary staff employed in management and-or administration; the number of training centres operated to full capacity by location and numbers for each such centre and the number of classrooms and workshops that were or are idle in each such FÁS centre by location. [3153/11]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister of State at the Department of Education and Skills (Deputy Seán Haughey)

In response to the question the following information has been compiled.

Table 1 below provides a breakdown of FÁS permanent staff as at the end of 2008, 2009 and as at November 2010. In addition to these staff, at the end of 2008 there were approximately 50 temporary instructors and 40 other temporary staff; at the end of 2009 there were 3 temporary instructors and 8 other temporary staff; and as at November 2010 there were 2 temporary staff (1 instructor and 1 other).

Table 2 below provides the number of training centres operated by FÁS in 2008, 2009 and 2010. Table 3 sets out the training centres by location indicating the number of instructors together with the number of idle classrooms and workshops. A review of all FÁS Training Centres was conducted on 9th December 2010 to establish the number of idle classrooms and workshops nationwide. This information was not available for previous years and therefore has not been included in my reply. Idle has been defined as not occupied on the day of the review, Thursday 9th December 2010. A classroom or workshop is not idle if a course is in progress; if a course is scheduled to commence; if trainees normally occupying the classroom are on work experience or in-company training; if it is a shared classroom; or if it is being used for night training.

Table 1

	Year
FÁS Permanent Staff	As at end of 2008	As at end of 2009	As at end of November 2010
Instructors (direct)	436	368	325
Other direct (non-management) staff in Training Services	481	438	465
Management in Training Services	129	116	98
Training Services Total	1046	922	888
Employment and Community Services Total	745	785	778
Management, administration and support services Total	392	338	320
Total Permanent Staff	2,183	2,045	1,986

Table 2

	2008	2009	2010**
No. of FÁS Training Centres	18	17*	17

*Jervis Street Training Centre closed on 31st July 2009.

**Cabra Training Centre closed on 24th December 2010.

Table 3

Training Centre Location	No. of Instructors*	No. of Idle Classrooms**	No. of Idle Workshops***
Dundalk	15	1	2
Gweedore	3	0	2
Letterkenny	9	1	4
Sligo	7.66	1	8
Athlone	25	1	1
Waterford	30	0	5
Limerick	30	1	3
Shannon	12	0	4
Baldoyle	25.78	3	4
Ballyfermot	20	0	3
Cabra	15
Finglas	21	1	5
Loughlinstown	16	2	3
Tallaght	12	3	10
Tralee	21	3	6
Cork	38	1	5
Galway	18	1	4
Head Office	7
Total	325.44	19	69

Please note that Cabra Training Centre is scheduled to close on 24th December 2010

*Numbers are based on full-time equivalents. They include 7 Instructors in Head Office E-college support.

**Idle classrooms as per review carried out Nationwide on 9th December 2010.

***Idle workshops as per review carried out Nationwide on 9th December 2010.

Fergus O'Dowd

Ceist:

63 Deputy Fergus O’Dowd asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills the number of qualified experienced training instructors that have been transferred away from training to administration duties over the past 12 months. [3154/11]

Minister of State at the Department of Education and Skills (Deputy Seán Haughey)

In the last twelve months a total of 12 qualified instructors have moved permanently out of direct training delivery. Of these 12, 10 have transferred to frontline duties in Employment Services and Community Services. The remaining 2 have moved into the training related area of assessment and curriculum. A further 32 instructors have moved on temporary assignment from direct training delivery into the training related area of assessment and curriculum. These transfers have occurred as a result of a sharp downturn in construction-related training activity, together with increased demands in other areas of FÁS activities including Employment Services.

Fergus O'Dowd

Ceist:

64 Deputy Fergus O’Dowd asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills the number of private training contractors currently engaged by FÁS compared to 2008 and 2009 figures. [3155/11]

Minister of State at the Department of Education and Skills (Deputy Seán Haughey)

As at 1st November 2010 a total of 86 private training contractors were being engaged by FÁS in the provision of training services. Since the beginning of 2010 FÁS has engaged a total of 120 such training companies. The table below indicates how this figure compares with the number engaged in 2008 and 2009.

Year	Number of Private Contractors
2010 (year to date as at 1 November)	120
2009	104
2008	56