Forfás
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| State Agency of the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | January 1994 |
| Dissolved | 1 August 2014 |
| Superseding agency | |
| Jurisdiction | Ireland |
| Headquarters | Wilton Park House, Wilton Place, Dublin 2 |
| State Agency of the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation executive |
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| Key documents |
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| Website | Forfás website |
Forfás (Irish pronunciation: [fˠɔɾˠfˠaːsˠ]) was the national policy advisory board for enterprise, trade, science, technology and innovation in Ireland. The agency was established in January 1994 under the Industrial Development Act, 1993 and was run by a board appointed by the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, to whom the agency is responsible. It was dissolved on 1 August 2014 when Forfas’ policy functions were integrated with the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation.
Legally, Forfás had five separate but related functions:
In its day-to-day business, the primary function of Forfás is to analyse developments in areas concerning Ireland's industrial and economic development and to make policy recommendations based on this analysis to Government. The Irish Government is not obliged to implement any recommendations that Forfás makes. Additional functions include:
As outlined above, Forfás also played a significant role in co-ordinating the activities of Government Enterprise Agencies (Enterprise Ireland, IDA Ireland and Science Foundation Ireland).
Forfás was ultimately a board of members that advised Government. Members were appointed to the Board of Forfás by the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation and as provided for in the Industrial Development legislation. Under the Industrial Development Act 1993, the CEOs of IDA Ireland, Enterprise Ireland and Science Foundation Ireland were automatically Board members of Forfás. By tradition, the Director General of FÁS and the Secretary General of the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation were also board members. The Board also included a panel of business, economic and other specialists.
A full list of former Board members is available from the Forfás website.
While Forfás was a board, that board was supported by an executive of salaried employees. Forfás was the sole legal employer of staff in its own executive, Enterprise Ireland, IDA Ireland and Science Foundation Ireland. Arising out of this, all staff employed in these bodies are Forfás employees seconded to such bodies. Upon retirement, Forfás assumed responsibility for their pension, resulting in Forfás having a large annual pensions cost and a significant liability under accounting standard FRS 17.
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