Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

l completely agree with the Minister on the last point that learners from very disadvantaged communities must be assured that the courses in which they partake are delivered to the highest quality. I have no issue with that. As for QQI itself, I have no issue with it either. When the legislation in regard to it was going through the House, all parties supported it. It has a very valuable and, I suppose, very positive contribution to make to ensure quality assurance in the courses provided.

I do not even have an issue with the re-engagement process because we must ensure that those who provide these courses provide them to the best of their ability, that they are delivered with high education quality and that the progression rates are weighed up. They must also prove that they have the ability and capacity to provide those courses.

The issue I have is around the proposed re-engagement fee. It has not yet been set and it will be looked at when the report is published but we discussed this at the Joint Committee on Education and Social Protection and I think all sides have come to the conclusion that one is talking about several thousand euro. It has yet to be determined whether it is €3,000, €5,000 or €6,000.

We are asking for the possibility of a waiver system for community education groups. It my understanding, from reading the QQI legislation, that section 80 gives the Minister the power to introduce a waiver scheme for community education providers. Will the Minister look at that once the report has been published and the costs have been established. It is critical that a re-engagement fee does not become a barrier to community education providers being able to prove that they have the capacity and expertise to deliver these accredited programmes. My concern is not the process but the fee that could be attached to it.

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