Dáil committee to widen probe into FÁS spending

THE Dáil Public Accounts Committee is to widen its investigation into FÁS and its spending and procurement practices after the state agency came under sustained criticism from TDs yesterday.

Members of the Oireachtas public spending watchdog expressed concern over controls within FÁS after incidents of poor financial management were highlighted in a recent report by the Comptroller and Auditor General John Buckley.

PAC chairman Bernard Allen and Mr Buckley also criticised the failure of FÁS to inform the C&AG’s office about a special internal audit into such matters until 2006, even though it had begun 18 months earlier.