Controversial Fás Science Challenge Programme axed

THE controversial Fás Science Challenge Programme has been axed.

Enterprise Minister Mary Coughlan confirmed the scheme, which was linked to lavish expenses claims at the employment agencies, had been stopped.

And she said the value for money report she commissioned into Fás did not see the worth of the programme which cost more than €1 million annually.

“In December 2008, I commissioned an internal review of Science Challenge. The review was completed in April 2009.

“On the basis of its findings I directed that Science Challenge be closed down once all its existing commitments for the academic year 2008/09 have been met,” she said.

In a series of parliamentary replies to Fine Gael’s Deirdre Clune, Ms Coughlan said after costing €1,145,000 the programme would be scrapped.

Ms Clune said the review should be made public to show how the scheme was allowed develop as it did.

“I would be concerned about the oversight in the Department and in Fás as to how this money was spent when it was not in line with Government policy,” she said.

The decision comes ahead of a report by the Comptroller and Auditor General into Fás. Reports in the Sunday Business Post suggest this report will find the board of Fás did not give sufficient oversight.

In particular problems were found with its corporate services division whose budget was increased from €1m to €10m in five years.

In relation to the Science Challenge Ms Coughlan said Dr Graham Love of the Science Foundation had been accurate when he told the Dáil Public Accounts Committee (PAC) there was limited information available on what the Challenge was supposed to achieve.

“The opinion given at last week’s Public Accounts Committee hearing by the Head of Strategy and Programme Implementation at Science Foundation Ireland reflects accurately one of the main conclusions contained in the internal review of the FÁS Science Challenge Initiative,” she said.