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Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 4 Mar 1999

Vol. 501 No. 5

Written Answers. - Institutes of Technology.

Brian O'Shea

Question:

130 Mr. O'Shea asked the Minister for Education and Science if, further to Parliamentary Question Nos. 199 of 10 February 1999, 138 of 18 February 1999 and 223 of 25 February 1999, the awards in the Qualifications (Education and Training) Bill, 1999, in relation to which provision will be made to delegate authority to Waterford Institute of Technology for their initiation and validation. [6510/99]

The Qualifications (Education and Training) Bill, 1999, was published yesterday.

Section 29 sets out provisions relating to the delegation of authority from the Higher Education and Training Awards Council to recognised institutions to make higher education and training awards. Recognised institutions include the institutions established by or under section 3 of the Regional Technical Colleges Act, 1992, which includes Waterford Institute of Technology.
Section 29(6) sets out that a review which has been, or is being, conducted on the direction of the Minister in relation to the delegation of authority to an institution established by or under section 3 of the Act of 1992 to make higher education and training awards, which following the commencement of the Bill becomes a recognised institution, shall be a review for the purposes of this section where the Minister so determines and the Minister shall inform the council, by notice in writing, of any such determination and may give such directions to the council and the authority, as he or she considers appropriate.
It is my intention that, after the commencement of the Bill, I would direct the Higher Education and Training Awards Council and the National Qualifications Authority to implement the recommendations of the report of the interim review group, chaired by Dervilla Donnelly. Thus, subject to the other provisions of the Bill and subject to the provisions of the Regional Technical Colleges Acts, I would envisage that Waterford Institute of Technology would have authority delegated from the Higher Education and Training Awards Council to make awards in relation to existing and new programmes at the level of certificate and diploma currently awarded by the National Council for Educational Awards.
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