Coughlan publishes legislation to reform FÁS board

Tánaiste Mary Coughlan has published new legislation that will create a smaller FÁS board which she says will have greater accountability to the taxpayer.

Under the Labour Services Amendment Bill, the number of board members will be reduced from 17 to 11.

The social partners and FÁS employees will no longer be involved in appointing directors, all of whom will now being selected by the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment.

The new legislation also provides protection for whistleblowers who report FÁS wrongdoing and will make the director general of the state training agency accountable to the Public Accounts Committee.

Fine Gael TD Bernard Allen, the chair of that committee, has welcomed the proposed reforms, but says the minister must ensure that she does not appoint friends of the government parties to the board.