Terence Flanagan
Ceist:142 Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will comment on a matter (details supplied) regarding FÁS; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22973/11]
Amharc ar fhreagraWednesday, 14 September 2011
Ceisteanna (142, 143)
Freagraí scríofa
A pre-retirement leave policy was introduced by FÁS a number of years ago. The Board of FÁS cancelled this policy in March 2010. However, the Union referred the matter to the Labour Court, and the Labour Court recommended that the arrangement be re-instated to allow for due process. It further recommended that discussions on the future of the pre-retirement leave policy begin immediately with a view to bringing the pre-retirement arrangements in FAS into line with arrangements in comparable agencies within the Public Sector. I understand that as no agreement has been reached between FÁS and the unions, the matter has been referred back to the Labour Court, which will hold a hearing on the matter on 23 September.
Terence Flanagan
Ceist:143 Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Education and Skills his views on a matter (details supplied) regarding the rebranding of FÁS to SOLAS; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23057/11]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn July 2011, the Government decided that a new further education and training authority, to be called SOLAS, should be established. SOLAS will operate under the aegis of the Department of Education and Skills, and will co-ordinate and fund the wide range of further education and training programmes around the country. The establishment of SOLAS, the disbanding of FAS and making VECs responsible for the delivery of Further Education and Training programmes to learners is the most significant change in Further Education and Training in decades. It does not merely involve rebranding. The branding of SOLAS is a small but necessary part of the significant change management process that is involved. This will be one of the issues for consideration by the SOLAS Implementation Group which has been set up to oversee the process. Particular care will be exercised to ensure that the costs associated with the rebranding will not be excessive.
There are currently no plans for compulsory redundancies in FÁS, nor are there any plans to recruit additional staff.