Shortall Questions FÁS and the Waste of Tax Payers Money
Issued : Wednesday 7 October, 2009
In the Dáil, Local Labour T.D Róisín Shortall, sought to address the issues relating to FÁS and the low standards in high places, which have become the hall mark of Fianna Fáil's hold on power over the past decade.
Speaking at a Private Members debate Ms Shortall said, 'The scandals exposed in FÁS and the failure of the Government to address them adequately, typifies all that is wrong with the Government's attitude to the public service. The FÁS saga has been characterised by significant failings on several fronts, namely, a scandalous waste of taxpayers' money, an absence of accountability, serious breaches of procurement rules, a disregard for proper corporate governance, a lack of oversight by the board, an all too-cosy relationship with the supervising Department, a back-scratching culture arising from close personal and political connections between the executive, the board, the Department and the Ministers, and a disgraceful indulgence by senior executives in lavish entertainment and first class travel for themselves, their wives, their ministerial masters and various other hangers-on.'
'What makes the revelations in FÁS so difficult to take is the context in which they are set. There are 424,000 people signing on the live register at present. For many, notably those in the construction and retail sectors, there is unlikely to be much work for the foreseeable future.'
'For workers, taxpayers and citizens, this is contemptuous. Taken together with the bailout of the banks, the bailout of reckless property developers and the ongoing excesses in the Office of the Ceann Comhairle, it sends a clear message that Government Ministers and others who hold senior public positions care more about themselves and their cronies than the public they are meant to serve.'
'The profligate attitude to public money so prevalent at a senior level in FÁS has tarnished the entire public service. The failure of Ministers to deal with this wastefulness has also completely undermined the moral authority of Government and has played into the hands of those commentators who question the very principle of public service.'
