Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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444. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the approximate cost of outside consultants engaged by QQI for the purpose of drafting reports on the function, governance and structure of the organisation in each year since 2012; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16339/18]

Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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446. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention has been drawn to a report (details supplied) which was published on the structure of QQI; the cost of the production of this report; the status of the implementation of the recommendations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16341/18]

Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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449. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention has drawn to the high number of outside consultants used by QQI since its foundation; the estimated cost of each; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16344/18]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 444, 446 and 449 together.

In 2016, my Department appointed Clarion Consulting Limited to conduct an organisational review of QQI. On completion of this review in December of that year, a report was provided to both my Department and QQI. This report identified challenges within the agency and made a series of recommendations to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of QQI. The value of this contract was €29,450.

To facilitate the implementation of this Report, a steering committee comprised of representatives of QQI's board, management, staff and officials from my Department was established in 2017. An Industrial Relations Forum was created in parallel to allow for discussion of any industrial relations issues arising from implementation.

With my Department's support, QQI has procured Rubicon Strategic Consulting to provide the change management expertise necessary to support the implementation of the organisational review. The process of implementation is currently underway.