Committee Grills Ex-FÁS Chief Over Expenses

The former FÁS boss is to appear before the Dáil Public Accounts Committee over questions on the allegedly exorbitant expenses accrued by the agency's executives.

Rody Molloy, who was forced to resign last week after the discovery that officials at the employment authority that promotes job opportunities and training courses for school leavers, post graduates and professionals, spent €643,000 on transatlantic travel over four years, failed to show up at last week's hearing sparking an attack from the committee's chairman.

Mr Molloy appeared today claiming that because he had left the organisation, he didn't think he needed to attend the hearing.

Last week, Chairman Bernard Allen censured the ex-boss for failing to appear before the inquiry, claiming it was unacceptable for highly paid public servants to think they could "ride away into the sunset".

"Basically we were coming from the situation in the committee that we were quite frustrated that two days prior to the meeting he decided to resign," Mr Allen said.

Mr Molloy is expected to be grilled by TDs about aspects of the FÁS €1 billion-a-year budget, travel and expenses and controls exercised over the corporate affairs division of the body.

(DW)