Anne Ferris (Wicklow, Labour)
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Question 95: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the plans he has to facilitate students to review the work of their lecturers and tutors; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10514/12]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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The National Strategy for Higher Education recommended the development of an Irish National Student Survey (INNS) as a key tool in the wider performance and quality measurement of Irish higher education. There has been significant progress in its development by a Steering Group comprising institutional research officers and academics from the universities, colleges and institutes of technology along with representatives from USI, HEA, IUA and IOTI. A draft questionnaire is currently under consideration by the higher education community. Following piloting which is scheduled to commence in the current academic year, it is intended to fully implement the INSS from the 2012/13 academic year onwards. The Strategy further recommends that all higher education institutions should put in place robust comprehensive and anonymous student feedback systems to inform institutional and programme management as well as structures to ensure that action is taken promptly in response to student concerns. In the last number of years there has been substantial progress in higher education institutions in establishing feedback mechanisms. This process will be assisted by the implementation since April 2011 of an agreed document under the Public Service Agreement in respect of academic staff in Institutes of Technology including the ability for institutes to use student feedback for purposes of quality assurance.