Jerry Buttimer (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 92: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he recognises any qualification provided by an institute (details supplied); if so, when he began to recognise these qualifications; if he recognises such qualifications as being equivalent to any level of the national framework of qualifications; if he does not now recognise any qualification provided by the institute has he previously recognised any qualifications provided by this institute; in view of the fact that in material previously published by the institute it stated that the graduateship of the institute is recognised by his Department as being the professional equivalent of a primary degree, the contact or correspondence that there has there been between him and the institute in relation to this statement which would justify the institute making such a claim. [19097/11]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Awards made by the provider referred to by the Deputy are not recognised by my Department, whether as equivalent to a particular level of the National Framework of Qualifications or otherwise, and never have been recognised by my Department. Furthermore I am not aware of any contact or correspondence between my Department and the provider concerned regarding the equivalence of their awards.

The National Qualifications Authority of Ireland (NQAI) is the body with statutory responsibility for the National Framework of Qualifications, and in order to have their awards included in, or aligned with, the Framework the provider concerned would have to make an application to the NQAI. Their awards are not currently included in, or aligned with, the Framework and they have not been in contact with the NQAI in this regard.