Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Question 8: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills if she will provide a list of the legislation being contemplated or proposed within her Department; the proposed short title or working title of the legislation; an outline of the objects of the legislation being considered, and in each case if the general scheme of the Bill has or has not been approved; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4012/11]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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Work is currently underway in my Department on the preparation of the following items of draft legislation: 1. Qualifications and Quality Assurance (Education and Training) Bill The Heads of Bill were approved by Government in January 2010 and work is at an advanced stage on the preparation of the draft legislation. The purpose of the Bill is to provide for the amalgamation of a number of education bodies arising from a Budget 2009 announcement. The bodies concerned are the National Qualifications Authority of Ireland (NQAI), the Further Education and Training Awards Council (FETAC) and the Higher Education and Training Awards Council (HETAC). The new organisation will also take responsibility for the functions currently performed by the Irish Universities Quality Board (IUQB). The draft legislation will also include provisions to empower the amalgamated organisation to develop a Quality Mark and Code of Practice for international education, including the English language sector. 2. Residential Institutions Statutory Fund Bill Work is currently underway on the preparation of a scheme of the Bill. The general scheme has not been approved yet by Government. The purpose of the Bill is to provide for the establishment of a Statutory Fund to support the needs of survivors of residential institutional child abuse and for other education and welfare purposes, and for related matters including provisions to facilitate the wind-down of the Residential Institutions Redress Board. 3. Vocational Education Bill Drafting of heads of a Vocational Education Bill is underway and is at an early stage. The purpose of the Bill is to rationalise and reduce the number of VECs and restructure and modernise the legislative framework applying to the VEC system.