18 DFómh 2012, 13:56
The Joint Committee on Education and Social Protection today met with Gordon Clark, Chairman Designate of the newly established Quality and Qualifications Ireland.
18 October 2012
The meeting took place as part of an initiative, outlined in the Programme for Government, that requires those who are being proposed for appointment as chairpersons of State boards to make themselves available to the appropriate Oireachtas Committee.
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: “Today's meeting was a welcome opportunity for our Committee to engage with the Chairperson Designate of what is an significant new Authority in Ireland's education system, merging the functions of several bodies. The Authority will also have an important responsibility for the external quality assurance review of the universities.
“We thank Mr Clark for a wideranging discussion on his experience and expertise in relation to the role. The engagement today also served to contribute to transparency in state appointments. A transcript of today's discussion will be sent to the Minister for Education for his consideration in the appointment process.”
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