€200k Fás contract deal ‘made prior to election’

EDUCATION and Skills Minister Ruairi Quinn said a decision on a six-figure public relations contract issued by Fás to an outside agency was made prior to the general election.

He said the contract to Fleishman Hillard was worth €200,000 — not €300,000 as had been reported — and the decision was made when Fás was an independent operation.

“Some of the money has not yet been spent and it is an operational matter for the Fás managers and authorities,” Mr Quinn told reporters.

In relation to teachers taking over responsibilities of Fás, the minster said plans were still evolving, but a large section of what was Fás had been transferred already by the previous Government.

Community employment programmes and related activities were now the responsibility of the Department of Social Protection.

He said the formal training element was vested currently in the Department of Education.

Mr Quinn said he would be meeting with Fás shortly and they would be looking at ways in which they could utilise the infrastructure of the institutes of technology, their training centres and the VEC sector to deliver training.