Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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Question 73: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills in view of commitments in the programme for Government to cut the number of State bodies substantially, the State bodies or agencies in the education sector he believes could be abolished and the timeframe envisaged for same. [9933/11]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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My Department is currently working with the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel to prepare legislation which will give effect to the previous Government's decision to amalgamate the National Qualifications Authority of Ireland (NQAI), the Higher Education and Training Awards Council (HETAC) and the Further Education and Training Awards Council (FETAC). Drafting of the legislation is at an advanced stage and it is hoped to publish the Bill in the near future, with the new amalgamated body to be established before the end of the year.

The previous Government decided to reduce the number of VECs from 33 to 16, and on the merger of particular VECs. I am anxious to ensure that progress continues to be made in the work on bringing about a reduction in the number of VECs. I extended an invitation to the Irish Vocational Education Association (IVEA) to submit alternative rationalisation proposals, as they had expressed concerns regarding the configuration of the proposed new entities. The IVEA has indicated to me that it will be responding shortly. I have made clear to the IVEA that while I am open to considering proposals on alternative configurations, the invitation does not mean that the process of rationalisation will be slowed or diminished in any way. In considering the submission from IVEA regarding particular mergers, I will be seeking savings and ensuring that the new structure will involve a substantial reduction in the number of individual bodies but with each one of greater scale than is the case at present. I am confident that this merger will ensure an even higher quality educational service for students and the public alike. Regardless of the final shape of the re-configuration, there will still be a requirement for co-operation and joint endeavour between all of the new local bodies. The current work on arriving at a single grant awarding body for the student support schemes is a good example of avoiding duplication and achieving improved public service delivery. The rationalised new bodies will position the VEC sector to turn these challenges into opportunities.

The new National Strategy for Higher Education provides a clear policy direction for the future development of roles and relationships between higher education institutions. It reaffirms the importance of having a coherent network of institutions with a diversity of missions and a strong emphasis on consolidation and collaboration on a regional basis within both the university and Institutes of Technology sectors, to underpin quality, offer wider choice, more flexible learning opportunities and a high quality research system. A clear development pathway has also been laid out in the Strategy for amalgamated Institutes of Technology which meet specified performance criteria to seek re-designation as technological universities. A small number of new technological universities, with their own legislative framework and a distinct mission that is faithful to the ethos of the technological sector, working with existing universities, institutes of technology and other education providers, can enrich the diversity and quality of the Irish higher education landscape. It is my intention to publish the detailed performance criteria for a re-designation process at an early stage.

The scope for further rationalisation of State bodies or agencies in the education sector will be examined in the context of the Comprehensive Spending Review announced recently by Government. The Review is scheduled to be concluded by end September 2011 and the results will be brought before Government for consideration and decision in the annual Budget and Estimates process.