Fás official unlikely to face inquiry committee

By Paul O’Brien Political Correspondent

Thursday, November 05, 2009

FORMER director of corporate affairs at Fás Greg Craig is unlikely to appear before the Dáil committee investigating overspending at the state training agency.

Mr Craig has written to the Public Accounts Committee indicating he will not attend its hearings.

He refused similar invitations to appear before the committee last year.

The committee has been conducting a lengthy inquiry into the overspending controversy at Fás, which saw the agency breach financial procedures and waste millions of euro of taxpayers’ money.

It wanted to question Mr Craig about overspending at the corporate affairs division during his time in charge.

A report by the Comptroller and Auditor General in September found that between 2002 and 2008, Fás spent €48m on advertising, promotion and related activities – an overrun of 38%, or €13.2m, on the budgeted amount.

The corporate affairs division had primary responsibility for this expenditure.

The committee wanted to discuss this and other issues with Mr Craig, who has since been moved to a new role in Fás.

It wrote to Mr Craig in October advising him that he had been referred to by name in a previous committee meeting, and offering him a chance to respond.

Under law, any person referred to in this way has the right to appear in person before the committee to protect their good name.

But in a written response to the committee, Mr Craig said he had seen the transcript of the remarks and raised his concerns with his bosses in Fás, who duly appraised the committee of these concerns.

Mr Craig indicated he was satisfied with this and would not be appearing before the committee.

This story appeared in the printed version of the Irish Examiner Thursday, November 05, 2009