Address by Mr. Tom Kitt, T.D., Minister for Labour, Trade and Consumer Affairsat the Official Opening of Marlay Park Houseon Friday, 15th September, 2000

I’m delighted to be here this afternoon to acknowledge the contribution made by FAS trainees and craftspersons to the refurbishment of Marlay Park House, and to celebrate the formal opening of the house.

And what a wonderful tribute to the work of FAS and its trainees and craftpersons Marlay House is.

The purpose of FAS Community Training Projects is to use local worthwhile community projects as vehicles to deliver training to local unemployed people so as to equip them with employment skills. This has the dual effect of improving the employability of trainees and improving the community amenity, which was used as the vehicle for training.

When FAS first became involved with Marlay Park House in 1992, it was a semi derelict building, at a crossroads in terms of whether or not it should be demolished. As a compromise, a FAS programme was put in place to make safe, and restore part of the house.

It is a tremendous accolade to those in FAS and the Sponsors who had the vision to commit resources to what at the time might have appeared something of a long shot. FAS committed over £2m over the period and looking at the results, none could doubt the resounding success of the investment – a semi derelict period house, which would otherwise have been lost, restored to its former elegance, and 360 people trained of whom 90% went on to employment.

As a local representative I have watched as work has progressed and I have visited the project on many occasions, each time more impressed than the last by the quality of workmanship demonstrated by the FAS trainees and craftpersons, and by the magnificence of the restoration.As Minister responsible for FAS, I am happy to be in a position to encourage and compliment FAS on the good works they were doing, not just in the restoration of the house itself, but in the training into employment of the vast bulk of trainees who went through the system.

I am proud to be here today to congratulate these people on their success and on their good work, and I wish them every success in their future careers, careers which are enriched by the quality of training received in their time with FAS at Marlay Park.

The magnificence of this beautifully restored building stands as a monument to the good work of FAS and as a shining example of what can be achieved by the partnership between FAS and proactive local communities.

Thank you.