Jonathan O'Brien
Question:285. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills the cost of allowing all community groups have a fee waiver of QQI fees. [29740/14]
View answerTuesday, 8 July 2014
Questions (285)
Written answers
Under the Qualifications and Quality Assurance (Education and Training) Act, 2012 fees are determined by QQI and require the consent of both the Minister for Education and Skills and the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform. The 2012 Act provides for fees to be determined in relation to fifteen different activities and services of QQI, although all providers will not wish to access all of these services.
To date, fees have been determined for only a limited number of these services, including initial access to QQI programme validation and awards. It is therefore not possible to give a definitive figure in relation to the cost of allowing all community groups a fee waiver for all of QQI's fees. Furthermore, while in 2012 approximately 150 providers were categorised by QQI as 'community and voluntary', some, due to their size and related capacity issues, may choose not to re-engage with QQI when it formally establishes a quality assurance relationship with its providers, as required by the legislation.