Vol. 467 No. 1
11 Ms Keogh asked the Minister for Education the terms of reference given to the independent consultants appointed to examine the accounts of the National Council for Educational Awards; when the report of the consultants will be available; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12801/96]
In 1995 the Higher Education Authority commissioned management consultants to undertake a study of the National Council for Educational Awards with the following terms of reference: to review the council's costs and fees structure overall and related to each of its activities; to assess the cost efficiency and effectiveness of the council's operations; to examine the effectiveness of the council's financial control systems and their implementation and to make recommendations as appropriate for improvements in any of the above.
The consultants are completing their study and will shortly submit an interim report for any views which the authority and the council may have, essentially on matters of fact in the report. They will submit their final report within four weeks, taking account of any views received from the authority and the council.
The National Council for Educational Awards is an institution of higher education designated under the terms of the Higher Education Act, 1973. The authority commissioned the study from consultants as part of its ongoing review of the operation and related costs and funding of universities and designated institutions.
The Price Waterhouse report has been delayed five months. Does the Minister intend to publish it in full? Will she comment on the statement of the then chairman of the NCEA that the study would be premature until the relationship between the NCEA and Teastas had been clarified? Does she believe that relationship has been clarified?
The Higher Education Authority commissioned management consultants to undertake this study. On receipt of their report, the Higher Education Authority will consult the members of the authority and the council and will then produce a final report. I await the final report.
The Deputy asked me to comment on the relationship between the NCEA and Teastas. The Government appointed interim board of Teastas under the chairmanship of Dick Langford will be submitting its proposals to establish Teastas on a statutory basis. Part of its remit is to look at the awards and certification system as effected and carried out by the NCEA, the NCVA, Teagasc, CERT and FÁS. There is a great deal of activity in this area.
It seems the Minister is unable to tell me whether the report will be published in due course. Let me stress the importance of publishing these reports. Will she comment on the proposal that regional technical colleges draw up their own validating body? Will we have three validating bodies as a result of the proposal?
I am committed to publishing and putting into the public domain the reports I have commissioned. This report was commissioned by the Higher Education Authority and there is still work to complete on it. I will inform the House of my plans for putting it into the public domain following discussions with the HEA.
Teastas was established on a nonstatutory basis by this Government in the past year. That body will bring forward proposals to set up a national certification authority. The proposed structure of the national certification authority has the support of the European Commission and it will put in place a unified structure for the various certificate and degree awarding institutions.
I thank the Minister for that clarification. There is distinct unease among students, in particular, about fragmentation in relation to validation of courses.
On the question of publishing reports, may I remind the Minister of the very lengthy delay prior to the publication of the de Buitléir report and the Price Waterhouse report? The Minister promised last February to publish the Price Waterhouse report as soon as she received it but the report has been delayed since she made that promise. Will the Minister clarify whether she will publish it as soon as she receives it?
I am not in a position now to comment and I will not comment on it. I have spelled out the time frame and the interaction between the HEA, who has commissioned the report, the NCEA itself and then the final report. The Deputy has raised the delay in the publication of the report. The Price Waterhouse report came into my possession on Friday. As the national certificate examinations will only be concluded this week, I think it would be more appropriate to make it available to all Senators and Deputies when the certificate examinations are finished. I have committed myself to doing that next week.
