Michael D Higgins (Galway West, Labour)
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Question 189: To ask the Minister for Education and Science when she will appoint a new board to FETAC; if her attention has been drawn to the fact that courses cannot be approved in the absence of a board; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34109/06]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I hope to be in a position to appoint a new Council shortly. I have been advised by FETAC that the absence of a new Council is not delaying the validation of new programmes. The previous Council of FETAC had agreed quality assurance and programme validation policies and procedures, and the published criteria are being implemented on an ongoing basis by the staff of the Council.

Providers may submit programmes for validation on an ongoing basis, provided they have previously agreed their quality assurance procedures with FETAC. The process for programme validation takes approximately twelve weeks and involves the evaluation of submissions received by experts in the relevant field. Centres are advised by FETAC that their programmes must be approved prior to delivery. FETAC received in excess of 100 submissions over the summer and it is expected that decisions will be made on these and conveyed to the centres by the end of October.