Mary Mitchell O'Connor (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Amendments Nos. 23 to 29, inclusive, will amend section 28 to add the Institute of Public Administration, IPA, to the list of bodies that were exempted from the annual charge for the learner protection fund. The IPA receives substantial public funding and its exclusion from the payment of this charge is in line with the policies approach being taken for exemptions. Section 30 of the Bill establishes the learner protection fund and contains provisions relating to the annual charges payable into the fund by providers.

Amendment No. 30 to this section will require QQI to undertake periodic reviews of the operation of the learner protection fund at five-year intervals. These reviews will include the assessment of the annual charge being levied. As part of the review, QQI will be required to consult with those providers whose learners are protected by the fund and who are obliged to pay the charge. On Committee Stage, Senator Ruane highlighted concerns surrounding the potential impact of the annual charge levied by QQI on providers, particularly those in the community and voluntary sector. This review mechanism will give providers the opportunity to have their say on the operation of the fund and the charges being levied on it. This input will inform QQI's future policy recommendations on the fund. I thank Senator Ruane for her input on these issues and for raising the matter of the IPA's exemption from the annual charge to the learner protection fund. Amendment No. 31 to section 31 is also included here. This is just to correct a small drafting error that was made in this section.