06/10/2009

FÁS Board To Be Chopped By Six

The number of board members at the chagrined State training agency will be chopped from 17 to 11, under new proposed legislation.

The Labour Services Amendment Bill 2009 will introduce sweeping changes at the FÁS, which has been at the centre of a number of expenses scandals.

The new legislation will also seek to protect FÁS employee whistleblowers. Workers who report suspected wrongdoing will be able to contact gardaí or a member of the new board, without fear of penalty.

The proposed legislation will also remove the role of social partner organisations and FÁS employees in appointing.

Under the terms of the new legislation, the Minister for Enterprise, Trade & Employment will make appointments to the board of FÁS with some input from the Minister for Education & Science and the Minister for Social & Family Affairs.

A statement from the office of the Tánaiste said the move is designed to improve corporate governance at the State agency and get it back to its core function of training and upskilling the workforce.

The Dáil will be debating a private members' motion from the Labour Party on the future of the training agency later today, along with the maligned €1 million retirement package given to the former Director General Rody Molloy.

(DW/KMcA)


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