Coughlan U-turn on department statement supporting Fás board

TÁNAISTE Mary Coughlan has admitted a statement supporting the board of Fás was drawn up within her department in the wake of damning findings on the agency by the Comptroller and Auditor General.

This contradicts her earlier comments when she said no such statement or press release had existed before the board indicated it would resign en masse.

Answering a parliamentary question tabled by Leo Varadkar last night the Tánaiste conceded a statement was prepared but not released.