Report: FÁS breached financial and travel procedures

A new report has found the State training agency FÁS breached financial and foreign travel procedures, at a huge cost to the taxpayer.

The Public Accounts Committee has said that inappropriate charges were incurred with first-class travel tickets, and €35m was spent on advertising in the four years to 2007 in an unorthodox fashion.

The PAC report concludes that the culture in the Corporate Affairs Division of FÁS meant that controls were by-passed and the board of FÁS failed to discharge its responsibilities to ensure good corporate governance.

It also finds the-shut down of the 'Jobs Ireland' website cost the taxpayer at least €1.2m.

Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee Bernard Allen says the report raises serious issues.