Overcharging at core of two inquiries

GARDA INVESTIGATIONS:TWO GARDA investigations are under way into financial irregularities at Fás, the Public Accounts Committee heard yesterday.

Christy Cooney, assistant director general at the State training authority, said one of the investigations related to overcharging on invoices which was uncovered in an internal audit. The audit was carried out in the corporate affairs section and brought before the Fás board in December 2007.

The second investigation was uncovered following a more recent audit into the corporate affairs section, Mr Cooney said, and it also involved overcharging.

He said suspended director of corporate affairs Greg Craig had no connection with the matter, except that the person being investigated would have been reporting to Mr Craig.

The committee also heard that, since 2004, 14 members of staff at Fás had been disciplined.

Three had been dismissed, three had been suspended without pay, two had been demoted, two resigned, two moved and two cases were pending. The people involved had been accused of various offences including misappropriation of funds and misappropriation of materials.

Mr Cooney said the issues were detected either by superiors or through the audit process.