Vol. 518 No. 4
255 Mr. O'Shea asked the Minister for Education and Science the proposals, if any, he has to appoint a Waterford based person to the designate National Qualifications Authority of Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11881/00]
In setting up the designate National Qualifications Authority of Ireland, the intention is to mirror, in so far as is possible, the membership of the statutory authority. The membership of the statutory authority is as follows: the chairperson of the authority, the chief executive of the authority, two persons nominated by the Minister, one of whom shall be a person who, in the opinion of the Minister, is representative of community and voluntary organisations, one person nominated by the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, the chairperson of the Higher Education and Training Awards Council, the chairperson of the Further Education and Training Awards Council, one person nominated by universities, one person who, in the opinion of the Minister after consultation with the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, is representative of learners, one person nominated by Forfás, one person nominated by the Irish Business and Employers Confederation, one person nominated by the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, two persons nominated by the authority who have a special knowledge and experience related to the functions of the authority, at least one of whom shall be a person with international experience related to those functions.
The priority in nominating persons to the designate National Qualifications Authority of Ireland is for those persons to have the necessary expertise and breadth of experience in the education and training area to enable them to fully contribute to the achievement of the objects of the authority and the Act.
