The national training agency otherwise known as FAS has been completely discredited over the past few years. During the latter part of the CelticTiger ,FAS effectively became a junket for senior management and Union officials. FAS which was essentially set up to help young people find apprenticeships and to assist those without a job in providing advice and assistance, was no longer primerly concerned with fulfiling this function.
FAS had a budget of nearly €1 billion a year during a time of record unemployment. There was no scrutiny on how this money was spent by FAS management or the Fianna Fail Government at the time.
FAS had a budget of nearly €1 billion a year during a time of record unemployment. There was no scrutiny on how this money was spent by FAS management or the Fianna Fail Government at the time.
As a result of the lack of financial oversight at FAS, a culture of excess developed.There were lavish expense trips by management abroad on business of course. Between 2002 and 2008 FAS spent €4.7 million on foreign travel. Gerry Pyke the former assistant general at FAS and his wife took a three week trip around the world with the business class tickets costing €12,021, of course spouses always travelled abroad with their partners.
Over a seven year period FAS spent €1.7 million on hotels, lunches, limo’s and other such perks. €3.55 million was paid for a website which was shutdown after a year. €600,000 was spent on ads which were never aired.
Over a seven year period FAS spent €1.7 million on hotels, lunches, limo’s and other such perks. €3.55 million was paid for a website which was shutdown after a year. €600,000 was spent on ads which were never aired.
FAS also spent over €3 million in building their new headquarters in Birr, County Offaly, which has since been cancelled. By the way Birr conveniently happens to be the home of the former head man at FAS, Roddy Molloy and former Taoiseach Brian Cowen.
The wasteful spending from 2002 to 2008 is not what has done the most reputational damage to FAS however. What really has damaged them,in the eyes of most employers in particular is the poor quality of their courses, their lack of any marking procedures and repeated reports of students passing exams no matter what marks they got.
At a time of rapid unemployment the country really needs a training agency fit for purpose and one in which people can trust. FAS will soon get a name change, but it is a change of culture inside the organisation, not a change of name above the organisations door that’s really needed.
In November 2008, Roddy Molloy the director general stepped down, he got a severance package worth around €900,000 and was gifted a car as an added bonus. This was all singed of by Peter Mcloone, former head of ICTU who was on the FAS board at the time.
At a time of rapid unemployment the country really needs a training agency fit for purpose and one in which people can trust. FAS will soon get a name change, but it is a change of culture inside the organisation, not a change of name above the organisations door that’s really needed.
In November 2008, Roddy Molloy the director general stepped down, he got a severance package worth around €900,000 and was gifted a car as an added bonus. This was all singed of by Peter Mcloone, former head of ICTU who was on the FAS board at the time.
