Government accused of inaction on Fás

THE Government has done nothing to clean up Fás according to the Dáil’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) which claimed its recommendations on improving accountability at the state training agency have been completely ignored.

New laws allowing for the restructuring of the agency’s board will not be published before the Dáil takes holidays, Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Mary Coughlan confirmed yesterday, meaning they may not be enacted until the end of the year.

The spending watchdog committee carried out an investigation of the agency when it emerged that taxpayers’ money was being used excessively by Fás executives claiming lavish expenses on foreign travel.