FAS chief defends executives' expenses (again!)

[AgathaC]

Apparently he has just announced his resignation...I just wonder though is this carry-on typical of all government departments. I do not mean by the 'ordinary workers' but by the 'top brass'? It is a sickening waste of public money.

 

[NorthDrum]

Apparently he has just announced his resignation...I just wonder though is this carry-on typical of all government departments. I do not mean by the 'ordinary workers' but by the 'top brass'? It is a sickening waste of public money.

More then likely he has been "ecnouraged" to sacrifice himself for the good of FAS (or for the "family" , aka the have mores as Bush put it).

That way the press will have their pound of flesh and the rest of this debacle can be swept under the carpet.

Sickening, most of the points I agree with are in these posts but is it any surprise that a FF govt that has absolutely no grasp on reality has a civil service that appears to be run (higher up the ladders) by complete humpty dumptys that have little grasp of the reality of the situation. To justify anything by saying "well I am entitled to it" is to sidestep the issue. Thats pretty much saying to me that he flushes the first class toilets in the plane just as hes flying over the taxpayers house. Yes he is entitled to flush the toilet, doesnt mean he has to.

I wish some of these idiots would just come out and admit that while they were entitled to it, its probobley not really morally right!.

That aside, there is a bigger issue and its not limited to FAS. Semi State bodies or any agency in the state should be run like a Privately owned business. At the very least they should be in some way accountable to the public.

There is a cloak and dagger feel to most of these "dodgy" situations that the govt or the govt run associations seem to end up in, more so because of their reactions ( " It wasnt me " "Its my right" . . ) then what they actually did.

One word sums up probobley the biggest problem in all these govt departments. Accountability. In all spectrums of the word. Accountability for poor decisions made , accountability for poor performances and ultimately accountability in terms of justifying expenses.

 

[Complainer]

then nearly one years leave with pay while the constructive dismissal action was dealt with. The staffers legal fee where of course paid by Fas.( Fas paying to sue themselves!!!!)

Nothing unusual about the loser paying the other side's costs as part of a settlement.

 

[ninsaga]

Apparently he has just announced his resignation...I just wonder though is this carry-on typical of all government departments. I do not mean by the 'ordinary workers' but by the 'top brass'? It is a sickening waste of public money.

..all the signs of being caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

 

[bamboozle]

Brian Cowen - From Offally
Rody Molloy - From Birr Co. Offally
Proposed decentralisation of Fas to.......(cue drumroll) you guessed it Birr Co. Offally!!!

sickening, but no doubt Molloy will find another cushty job with the civil service

 

[Sunny]

While I think he deserves credit for resigning (Hopefully he will have started a trend!), I will hold off until I see what sort of parachute payment including pension that he gets. Apparently it is in line with public sector norms. Anyone know what that means??

Anyway time to move on to Brian Cowan and his ringing endorsement on Monday. How many messes can one guy find himself in over such a short period of time. He is fast going down as the worst (or unluckiest) Taoiseach of all time.

 

[Graham_07]

He is fast going down as the worst (or unluckiest) Taoiseach of all time.

Well since Bertie had, I think, title of the "Teflon Taoiseach" could BC's be...the "Velcro Taoiseach"

 

[ubiquitous]

Rody Molloy - From Birr Co. Offaly
Proposed decentralisation of Fas to.......(cue drumroll) you guessed it Birr Co. Offaly!!!

Says it all, really.


(in fairness to Cowen, he was Minister for Foreign Affairs at the time that McCreevy announced the decentralisation plans and he was unlikely to have had a role in deciding which state agency should be landed in Birr)

 

[Sunny]

Well since Bertie had, I think, title of the "Teflon Taoiseach" could BC's be...the "Velcro Taoiseach"

That nickname could stick!

 

[Lollix]

Says it all, really.


(in fairness to Cowen, he was Minister for Foreign Affairs at the time that McCreevy announced the decentralisation plans and he was unlikely to have had a role in deciding which state agency should be landed in Birr)

You're giving credit where none is due. It can be assumed that the decentralisation pot was divvied up at cabinet table. It's unlikely that one minister would be given all the spoils from that particular raid on the taxpayers' money.

 

[ubiquitous]

You're giving credit where none is due. It can be assumed that the decentralisation pot was divvied up at cabinet table. It's unlikely that one minister would be given all the spoils from that particular raid on the taxpayers' money.

I thought that was my point? Its unlikely that Cowen had responsibility for divvying up the spoils. I assume he was happy when Birr and the other towns in Offaly got their shares of the pot.

 

[Kerak]

Complainer,
I don’t disagree, however the easy with which this case was driven to legal recourse path is indicative of the poor management within fas , not just at Director level.

The others cases some of which where "won" by fas where actually settled by the means" if you don’t accept the findings and punishments, we will pursue you for costs, incidentally our costs are €xxx,xxx.” The fear of such cost been a pretty strong incentive to accept.

At least two things wrong with this

1. if the parties where guilty of something then they should have been pursued for costs, not subsidized by the taxpayer.

2. Fas using there huge clout and vastly deep pockets to overwhelm the smaller private firm or individual.

The constructive dismissal case, cost in excess of 250,000 euro to deal with, the individual involved had already cost 1.75million in legal costs to fas for his poor management, judgment– 2million he cost Fas or us the tax payer!!!, makes a few 1st class flights and a round of golf seem harmless!!!!
(and I add these are the cases we are aware of)

(Regarding freedom of information and Fas, we received 11 pages following a FOI request, there where 9 words that could be read, the rest was blacked out. I hope the PAC has better luck)

 

[dereko1969]

I think it's important to note that this issue went to the PAC due to the workings of public servants in FAS, the internal audit committee there weren't happy with the fact that their proposals for a review were being ignored. So yet again, it's unfair to tar all public servants with the Rody Molloy brush.
I hope the PAC don't let this go, and that the C&AG's office start doing a trawl of all Govt Departments and Agencies to check on unvouched or excessive expenses - no public or civil servant should travel first class ever and business class is stretching it a lot. Then, they should start looking at TD/Senator expenses.

 

[Sunny]

So yet again, it's unfair to tar all public servants with the Rody Molloy brush.
.

To be fair I don't think anyone is. People have already pointed out that they feel sorry for the ordinary employees of FAS during this mess. I do hope that this whole mess leads to a complete overview of the whole area of expenses in the civil service and State Agencies.

I once worked for a large multi-national company and when we had to travel for business, all our flights and hotels were booked through a central office based in London. There was no way I could swap my business class seat for two economy tickets for myself and my girlfriend or stay in unapproved hotel! Does such a system operate in the civil service or is it each to own with regard to travel arrangements

 

[bamboozle]

from reading Ross's article most of the expenses had been signed off by Molloy.....

 

[Complainer]

Complainer,
The others cases some of which where "won" by fas where actually settled by the means" if you don’t accept the findings and punishments, we will pursue you for costs, incidentally our costs are €xxx,xxx.” The fear of such cost been a pretty strong incentive to accept.

At least two things wrong with this

1. if the parties where guilty of something then they should have been pursued for costs, not subsidized by the taxpayer.

2. Fas using there huge clout and vastly deep pockets to overwhelm the smaller private firm or individual.

This practice (whether you like it or not) is by no means unique to FAS. Isn't the Dept Education currently pursuing the family of the autistic boy who took a case for ABA services for hundreds of thousands in costs? Just as they did for the lady in Cork who took a case for damages arising from abuse as a child.

The constructive dismissal case, cost in excess of 250,000 euro to deal with, the individual involved had already cost 1.75million in legal costs to fas for his poor management, judgment– 2million he cost Fas or us the tax payer!!!, makes a few 1st class flights and a round of golf seem harmless!!!!

I don't think it is fair to state that 'he cost FAS or us'. He took a case, and won in court, so clearly the fault lies with FAS rather than with him.

 

[Kerak]

The five cases he caused, that we know about cost 1.75 million, no costs where pursued in these cases, Fas had partial success in causing the parties to amend or correct the percieved errors. The same and better results could have been achived in a less costly manner. None of the 5 parties effected took the first legal steps as far as we are aware. Fas did.

 

[AgathaC]

I hope the PAC don't let this go, and that the C&AG's office start doing a trawl of all Govt Departments and Agencies to check on unvouched or excessive expenses - no public or civil servant should travel first class ever and business class is stretching it a lot. Then, they should start looking at TD/Senator expenses.

I absolutely agree. I also dont think he should just be allowed to walk away...thereby not having to trouble himself to appear in front of the PAC at all. Also am I right in thinking that he will get a very good financial settlement in the process?

 

[Purple]

I absolutely agree. I also dont think he should just be allowed to walk away...thereby not having to trouble himself to appear in front of the PAC at all. Also am I right in thinking that he will get a very good financial settlement in the process?

Maybe we need another tribunal?

 

[Towger]

What I found most interesting about the whole debacial was learning that the board of FAS consists mainly of the heads of the various unions. It is as if they have their own little club at tax payers expense.