The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has announced it is to widen its investigation into the State training agency Fás and its spending and procurement practices.
PAC said it had taken the decision following its meeting with Fás officials this morning.
The Committee met to consider the report of the Comptroller & Auditor General (C&AG) into FÁS's activities and to question its director general, Rody Molloy, and his senior management team on some of the concerns arising from the report.
In a statement after the meeting, PAC chairman Bernard Allen said: “In the coming weeks, we will continue our examination of FÁS, and they have been advised that we will be broadening the range of investigation at our next session.
“Today’s meeting raised as many questions as were answered so the Public Accounts Committee will now be assessing the evidence presented to it today,” Mr Allen said.
“As Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, I am concerned by the evidence given by FÁS in relation to a special internal audit it carried out and its failure to inform the Comptroller & Auditor General of that special investigation.”
He added: “Fás receives over €1 billion of taxpayers’ money annually so it is important that the Public Accounts Committee ensure that the taxpayer is getting value for money and that FÁS? programme is effective in delivering the services that it has responsibility for.”