Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 14 November 2012
116. Deputy Arthur Spring asked the Minister for Education and Skills following the formal establishment of Quality and Qualifications Ireland, when will new applications for training provider registration be processed and if any further guidelines, frameworks and the development of codes need to be establish prior to applications being accepted; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50228/12]
View answerI formally established Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI) on Tuesday 6 November. This involved the amalgamation of the National Qualifications Authority of Ireland (NQAI), the Higher Education and Training Awards Council (HETAC) and the Further Education and Training Awards Council (FETAC). Significant work has been completed by those bodies on core administrative preparations for the establishment of the new Authority. However, the establishment of QQI also involves the amalgamation of processes, including ones that have operated differently in the different agencies due to the history and nature of the different sectors. This will require the reconfiguration of current services such as the registration process for new providers, the validation and accreditation of programmes, the monitoring and review of providers and the development, review and certification of awards. This will include the development of formal guidelines, criteria and procedures pursuant to the new Qualifications and Quality Assurance (Education and Training) Act 2012.
It is anticipated that new applications will be accepted by QQI from Spring 2013.
