Financial irregularities and missing files in Skillnets scheme

SERIOUS questions have been raised over the delivery of the state’s Skillnets programme after the C&AG report uncovered issues over the non-delivery of courses that were already paid for, financial irregularities and missing documentation linked to tenders.

Skillnets is funded by the National Training Fund and had a final budget of €16.6m for 2009, funding 103 training networks training a reported 40,123 people. However, an investigation by accountants uncovered serious issues over the delivery of some training programmes.

According to the report: “Following the receipt of anonymous allegations in February 2010 in relation to a specific training provider, Skillnets began an investigation and identified 24 networks that had made payments to that training provider in 2008-2009.