Seven villages with good reason to thank Fás

IN light of the proposed Fás review of training and ancillary activities, it is well to remember the many positive contributions made by that organisation. It has proved to be of huge value especially in rural areas.

The enormous assistance given by the many Fás employees where well managed schemes are the norm is not fully recognised. When Fás staff put in regular working hours this creates a strong sense of discipline which is of great benefit to those workers when they are looking for future employment.

The one big danger in this review is that all villages may be judged by the same standards and criteria. The exemplary schemes could suffer from unfair comparison with badly run groups, where standards are not maintained or where time is seen as being of no importance.