FÁs has called in the gardaí to investigate four separate cases of financial irregularities at the beleaguered state jobs agency.

The agency's finance director, Con Shanahan, told the Dáil Public Accounts Committee last week that it had referred two cases to the gardaí involving sums of €19,000 and €33,000 which were paid by Fás to "intermediaries" for services provided by subcontractors.

A Fás audit concluded that these were "inappropriate charges". Shanahan said the gardaí had been called in to investigate a third case concerning the payment of €80,000 to a community programme in the mid-west. Shanahan said Fás believed up to €60,000 could be recovered.

The fourth Garda investigation is into the Kilkenny training company, Empower Training, which Fás hired to provide €320,000 worth of programmes.

Fás director general Paul O'Toole said that of four training programmes run by Empower it appeared there was an overlap of around 20 trainees who were also on a separately funded Skillnets course. Empower Training admitted the 20 trainees never attended the programmes.

O'Toole said as a result, payments of €92,500 to the company should be returned. He added that over €50,000 Fás owes Empower will be offset against what is due, leaving just over €41,000, which O'Toole stressed would be recouped.

External consultants are also conducting an investigation on behalf of Fás into payments totalling €583,000 paid to another company Optimum Training. This investigation, which is costing Fás €780 a day, is close to completion.