17 DFómh 2012, 15:33
The Joint Committee on Education and Social Protection will tomorrow meet with Gordon Clark, Chairman Designate of the newly established Quality Assurance Authority of Ireland.
17 October 2012
The Authority was established earlier this year under the Qualifications and Quality Assurance (Education and Training) Act, 2012. It will take on the functions currently performed by the National Qualifications Authority of Ireland (NQAI), the Higher Education and Training Awards Council (HETAC) and the Further Education and Training Awards Council (FETAC), all of which are to be dissolved under the Act. The Authority will also take on the core functions of the Irish Universities Quality Board.
Committee Chair Joanna Tuffy TD says: “Under the Programme for Government, those who are being proposed for appointment as chairpersons of State boards are required to make themselves available to the appropriate Oireachtas Committee. The meeting tomorrow with Mr Clark will allow the Committee discuss the approach he proposes to take as Chairman and his views about the priorities of this significant new body.”
“The Committee does not have a blocking role in the appointment and following the discussion tomorrow, decisions will be taken by the Minister or the Government, as appropriate, to confirm Mr Clark as chairperson.”
The meeting takes place tomorrow Thursday 18 October in Committee Room 3, LH 2000 at 10 am. The Committee’s public proceedings can be viewed online via this link.
For further information please contact:
Paul Hand,
Houses of the Oireachtas,
Communications Unit,
Leinster House,
Dublin 2
P: +353 1 618 4484
M: +353 87 694 9926
Committee Membership
Deputies:
James Bannon, Fine Gael
Ray Butler, Fine Gael
Áine Collins, Fine Gael
Joan Collins, People Before Profit
Seán Crowe, Sinn Féin
Clare Daly, Independent
Simon Harris, Fine Gael
Charlie McConalogue, Fianna Fáil
Nicky McFadden, Fine Gael
Mary Mitchell O’Connor, Fine Gael
Aodhán Ó Ríordáin, Labour Party (Vice Chair)
Aengus Ó Snodaigh, Sinn Féin
Willie O’Dea, Fianna Fáil
Brendan Ryan, Labour Party
Joanna Tuffy, Labour Party (Chair)
Senators:
Jim D’Arcy
Fidelma Healy Eames
Marie Moloney
Marie Louise O’Donnell
Averil Power
Diarmuid Wilson