Senior figures at FAS and the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment are to be interviewed today and tomorrow for the position of a director general at the State jobs and training body.
The post, which commands a salary of about £85,000 with the possibility of a 15 per cent performance-related bonus, will become vacant in September when Dr John Lynch leaves FAS to become full-time executive chairman of CIE.
It is thought that up to 20 people may have applied for the position, mostly from the State sector.
Those short-listed are believed to include the chief executive of FAS's international consulting division, Dr Eamonn Darcy.
Other candidates include three people currently working at assistant director general grade with the body. They are: Mr Donal Sands, who has responsibility for finance and administration; Mr Martin Lynch, who is in charge of the body's operations in the east of the State; and Mr Gerry Pyke, the authority's secretary, who also has responsibility for planning.
It is also likely that two senior civil servants at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment will be among the civil servants interviewed for the post.
The candidates include assistant secretary with responsibility for corporate services and economic policy at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Mr Rody Molloy. Another assistant secretary at the Department, Mr Seamus O Morain, is also likely to be interviewed. Mr O Morain is a member of FAS's board.
At the Department, he has responsibility for labour force development. This is now a key function of FAS, whose role previously centred on counter-unemployment strategy.
It is believed that no private sector candidates emerged in preliminary stages of the competition. The interview panel will be chaired by FAS's chairman, Mr Patrick Lynch. It is also likely to include the secretary general of the Department of the Taoiseach, Mr Paddy Teahon, and two members of FAS's board of directors, Mr Plev Ellis, and Ms Alice Prendergast.
The appointment will be sanctioned by the Tanaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Ms Harney.
One person familiar with the situation said interest within FAS would centre on whether an internal candidate or one from a Government Department would be chosen. FAS, which had a budget last year of £527 million, has been keen to assert its independence from Ms Harney's Department.
Given that figures suggest a possible shortfall of some 35,000 workers needed to fill 100,000 new positions, a key task for the appointee will be to expand the labour force by encouraging workers to return or move to the State.
A further reduction in the community employment scheme, which FAS administers for the Government, is also likely. The scheme's importance has diminish with the tightening of the labour market. The job also includes responsibility for the development of FAS's training function and its apprentice programmes.
