Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Question 532: To ask the Minister for Education and Science when she will appoint two student representatives onto the Higher Education Authority and the National Qualifications Authority of Ireland, as promised in the Programme for Government; if she will include this as part of the Student Support Bill; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3366/08]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The matter raised by the Deputy is not appropriate to the Student Support Bill. The commitment under the Programme for Government to appoint a further student representative to the HEA can be accommodated under existing legislation and will be considered when future vacancies arise. The composition of the National Qualifications Authority of Ireland is set out in Section 6 of the Qualifications (Education and Training) Act 1999, and provides for one representative of learners. The Authority is committed to working in a participative manner and engages extensively with student and other stakeholder interests as an integral part of its work, through a variety of consultative fora.