The other home news stories of the day in brief
Fetac refuses certificates for Fás trainees pending audit
Fás should be abolished as it no longer has credibility, Fine Gael’s education spokesman Fergus O’Dowd has said. He was commenting last night after Fetac, the statutory awarding body for further education and training, decided to refuse certificates for Fás trainees pending the results of a national audit.
“The fact that it is refusing to issue certificates to Fás pending the outcome of investigations is not only the latest in a long line of embarrassing bombshells to hit the State training agency, but once again calls into question the viability of it,” Mr O’Dowd said.
Youth organisation Youth Work Ireland expressed concern, saying that problems with certification could undermine the entire range of courses offered by Fás or any successor body.
Former union head to appear at inquiry
Retired Siptu general secretary Billy Attley has been invited by the Dáil Public Accounts Committee to attend a hearing next week into the Skill training fund controversy.
Mr Attley was the chairman of the steering group which oversaw the Skill training programme.
The committee is investigating how about €2 million in funding for the programme was paid into a bank account which the HSE has contended was used, in part to pay for foreign trips undertaken by public officials and trade union leaders.
250,000 drugs haul in Co Kildare
Drugs worth an estimated €250,000 were seized by gardaí in a rural location in Co Kildare yesterday.
One man was arrested.
Gardaí seized a quantity of cannabis herb and cocaine during a planned operation at a house close to Kilcock.
They also seized a large quantity of mixing agents and other drug paraphernalia at the house.
A man is his 30s was arrested and was being detained under section 2 of the Criminal Justice
Act at Leixlip Garda Station yesterday evening.
He can be held for up to seven days.
Incoming RTE chief to take salary cap
RTÉ’s incoming director general, Noel Curran, has volunteered to take a salary cap of €250,000 in advance of any statutory legislation to limit pay in the semi-State sector.
Mr Curran is due to take up his position in February and succeeds Cathal Goan, whose salary last year was €260,726, which included a voluntary reduction of €30,946. In 2008 he was paid €380,000.
The announcement came after Minister for Social Protection Éamon Ó Cuív accused the broadcaster of paying a "horrendous amount of money" to its top presenters. Mr Ó Cuív made his remarks after being asked on RTÉ's Morning Irelandprogramme about the bonuses being paid to AIB traders. He responded that everybody had to think of the common good.
“For example, in this organisation there are horrendous amounts of money being paid to presenters in the context of the present economic situation. That is a fair point that has to be looked at. That is five, six times that of a politician’s salary and that is always being used as a reference in all those issues.”