11/10/2011

FÁS Pay €175k To Former Director

A High Court has awarded a settlement to the former Corporate Affairs Director of a training and employment authority after he claimed he was used as a scapegoat.

Former Director of Corporate Affairs at FÁS Gregory Craig, has agreed to his dismissal and been awarded a settlement of €175k.

The payout follows an incident in 2008 when Mr. Craig was suspended amidst concerns about the lavish expenses regime at FÁS.

In September of this year he was dismissed by the training agency following an audit investigation, which he claimed, was unfair.

His lawyers claimed he had been made a scapegoat by the agency and was being continually offered up to the media.

Mr Craig claimed he had been vindicated in a previous report by accountancy firm, Mazars, which examined how allegations of lavish overspending were handled by the agency.

A lengthy and costly High Court challenge to keep his job was on the cards but mediation talks have led to a settlement.

The payment includes a termination payment of €75,000 (subject to tax), a payment of €35,000 in respect of annual leave, and €15,000 for general damages.

FÁS will also pay a sum of €50,000, plus VAT, as a contribution to Mr Craig's legal costs.

(LB/CD)

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