Report into Fás ‘slush fund’ took five years

THE head of the Department of Enterprise has denied burying a critical report into an alleged €167 million Fás “slush” fund for employers.

The value-for-money review of the training scheme under the state jobs agency took five years to complete by the department and was only given to TDs in recent days.

Department secretary general Sean Gorman yesterday admitted the review of the Fás Competency Development Programme (CDP) had taken “an inordinate amount of time”, but he denied accusations his department had suppressed or tried to conceal the report.