Tánaiste approves appointment of new Director General of FÁS

Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Ms. Mary Coughlan, T.D., today approved a proposal by the Board of FÁS for the appointment of Mr Eddie Sullivan to the post of Director General of FÁS on an interim basis. Mr. Sullivan is a former Secretary General (Public Service Management and Development) at the Department of Finance.

In giving her consent to the appointment, the Tánaiste re-iterated that FÁS should concentrate on its core mission, given the employment and training challenges currently facing the country and she expressed her support for the work of the new Director General and the Board in that regard. In particular, she acknowledged the ongoing commitment of the staff of FÁS in meeting these challenges. She again placed particular emphasis on their work in addressing the situation affecting redundant apprentices, training for those unemployed, providing supports for people with disabilities, the up-skilling of the workforce and the continued operation of Community Employment Schemes.

The Tánaiste also welcomed the statement by the Comptroller and Auditor General at today’s Public Accounts Committee hearing that he would soon begin his examination of the effectiveness of management and control systems in the FÁS organisation and that he would finalise his terms of reference shortly in consultation with her Department and the Public Accounts Committee.

ENDS/ETE1986

4^th December 2008