Ciarán Cannon (Galway East, Fine Gael)

This amendment amends subsection (1) of section 34 to make clear that directions made by the authority should relate to the effectiveness of the procedures for quality assurance established by the provider concerned and the implementation of the procedures by the provider. This ensures that the authority does not make directions about matters not directly related to the effectiveness of quality assurance procedures and is an important check on the powers of the authority in this area. I hope this also goes some way to addressing Senator Barrett's concerns about the authority impinging on the traditional autonomy enjoyed by universities in the past.