Empower students fear loss of €250k in probe

A PRIVATE training company collected more than €250,000 in student fees despite the gardaí and the Government being informed over six months ago that it was believed to be operating illegally.

Hundreds of people, most of whom have paid between €2,000 and €4,500 for courses, fear they may have lost their money after the sudden closure last Friday of the state-approved Empower Training of Kilkenny.

A recent report in the Irish Examiner revealed Empower was under investigation by the Garda fraud squad. Following this report, the firm’s directors Stephen Doran and Vivienne Hinton left the country.