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E-mailIn Defense of FAS
FAS is the Irish government agency charged with training and hiring workers for the Irish economy.
Part of their strategy in recent years has been to create opportunities abroad for Irish students to study, as well as hold job fairs to stimulate interest for exiles and others to come back and work in the Irish economy.
There has been a recent slew of allegations against the agency about overspending on their mission, especially on trips to the U.S.
At the heart of it are allegations against Mary Harney, a key minister in the Irish government who was allegedly involved in many of the worst excesses of spending.
At a time of major belt tightening, the story of FAS and government ministers running amok around America created a media firestorm in Ireland.
Director general Rody Molloy resigned last week after the media frenzy. Undoubtedly there was much excess and padding of expense accounts, but on balance, throwing the baby out with the bathwater is not a good idea.
Indeed, Molloy and his staff may have gotten a bum rap.
In my 30 years in America I have seen many kinds of junkets, from government ministers to trade delegations to local representatives. Most accomplished absolutely nothing.
FAS, on the other hand, appeared to achieve quite a lot, or got a great bang for the buck as they say.
A few years back I went to Houston on a FAS sponsored trip for journalists. It was one of the best trips I have taken in America. Our destination was the Space Center there, as well as Rice University to interview Irish students who were developing quite incredible scientific skills at the home of cutting edge technology.
Also on the trip was junior minister Tony Killeen, who had responsibility for science and technology.
While in Houston I met several senior NASA officials, including the head of their space program, all of who impressed on me that the caliber of young students from Ireland was tremendous. FAS had placed them all there.
Speaking to those young Irish people, they were indeed deeply impressive and intent on bringing their scientific skills back home.
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