30 Samh 2011, 15:11
At its meeting tomorrow, the PAC will examine the 2010 FÁS Accounts where it will deal with a range of issues facing this public body that has an annual spend of almost €1 billion. The examination comes at a time when there is an unprecedented demand for the services of FÁS due to the economic recession and the rise in unemployment.
As well as looking at the efficiency of FÁS in terms of training the unemployed for future employment, the Committee will also look at the effectiveness of this training. At any one time there are 50,000 people participating in FÁS programmes and the Committee will want to establish what value added is being obtained through participation in FÁS programmes.
Chairman of the Committee John Mc Guinness, TD said: “Now, more than ever, we need a national training organisation that provides not only value for money for the taxpayer but also makes a real difference to the individual who has lost his or her job and requires retraining and a new set of skills to get back into the workforce.
FÁS is charged with making that difference and we will want to know how they are mesuring effectiveness. The quality of training must be benchmarked and the type of training must be based on the needs of the industries that will provide the jobs that will enable Ireland to climb out of recession\".
As well as looking at effectiveness, we will also examine the transformation programme that has seen responsibility for one part of FÁS transferred to the Department of Social Protection while the training arm of FÁS is now under the control of the Minister for Education and Skills.”
Deputy Mc Guinness added that the break up of FÁS was the inevitable concquence of proor corporate governance and mismanagement during the boom in Ireland.
“The Committee will be examining the new controls that are now in place that should ensure that the mistakes of the past are not repeated and we will also look at the progress that has been made in dealing with legacy issues that need to be cleared up as part of the transformation programme,” he said.
Paul O’Toole the Director General of FÁS and the Chairman of FÁS, Michael Dempsey and senior officials from the Department of Education and Skills and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform will be called as witnesses at the meeting tomorrow, Thursday, 1st December, which begins at 10am in Committee Room 1, Leinster House.
Committee proceedings can be followed live at:
http://www.oireachtas.ie/ViewDoc.asp?fn=/documents/livewebcast/Web-Live.htm&CatID=83&m=o
Ends
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Committee of Public Accounts
Membership
John McGuinness (Chairman)
Kieran O’Donnell (Vice Chairman)
Paul J Connaughton,
John Deasy,
Paschal Donohoe,
Anne Ferris,
Simon Harris,
Michael McCarthy,
Mary Lou McDonald,
Sean Fleming,
Eoghan Murphy,
Derek Nolan,
Shane Ross