Written answers

Tuesday, 8 December 2020

Department of Education and Skills

Institutes of Technology

Photo of Matt ShanahanMatt Shanahan (Waterford, Independent)
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477. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his views on whether programmes delivered as collaborative provision in association with the Institute of Technology Carlow satisfy the QQI guidelines on cyclical review and annual institutional quality reporting; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41903/20]

Photo of Simon HarrisSimon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI) is the state agency with responsibility for the external quality assurance of further and higher education and training in Ireland.

Higher education providers are required to establish quality assurance procedures in accordance with QQI's Core Statutory Quality Assurance Guidelines. In addition, QQI's Statutory Sector-Specific Guidelines for the Institutes of Technology address the specific responsibilities of the Institutes of Technology including the quality assurance of collaborations with other providers.  Institutes of Technology must have quality assurance procedures in place to approve, monitor and review collaborative arrangements.  These procedures must be in line with the QQI Policy for Collaborative Programmes, Transnational Programmes and Joint Awards. 

QQI conducts an annual institutional quality reporting process to provide assurance to QQI that requisite quality assurance procedures are being implemented by all providers and that regulatory requirements are being met by each institution. These published reports include details of the collaborative provision arrangements entered into by the institution and any internal reviews undertaken of this provision by the institution. 

QQI also carries out cyclical reviews to evaluate the effectiveness of institution-wide quality assurance procedures.  QQI's current review cycle - the CINNTE review cycle - measures institution accountability with regard to the expectations set out in QQI quality assurance guidelines, and adherence to relevant QQI policies and procedures including that for collaborative provision.

In November 2020 IT Carlow successfully completed a quality assurance review as part of QQI's CINNTE review process. 

Photo of Matt ShanahanMatt Shanahan (Waterford, Independent)
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478. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he is satisfied that the number of students enrolled on collaborative provision programmes within the Institute of Technology Carlow meet the eligibility criteria under section 28 of the Technological Universities Act 2018; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41904/20]

Photo of Simon HarrisSimon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Under the statutory framework provided in the Technological Universities Act 2018, two or more applicant institutes may jointly seek technological university (TU) designation through a prescribed legislative process subject to their jointly meeting specified eligibility criteria.

Section 29of the 2018 Act provides that two or more applicant institutes may jointly apply to the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science for an order under section 36 seeking designation as a TU. 

Section 28of the Act prescribes the eligibility criteria with which the applicant institutes must jointly comply.  

Section 30 provides that the applicant institutes shall, inter alia, include information demonstrating compliance with the eligibility criteria.

I have to date received no application from the Institute of Technology Carlow jointly with another applicant institute seeking TU designation in compliance with the required eligibility criteria under the 2018 Act. However, as the Deputy will be aware, an application is expected early in quarter 2 of next year.  On receipt of an application, the prescribed legislative process under the TU Act (2018) will be commenced.

Photo of Matt ShanahanMatt Shanahan (Waterford, Independent)
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479. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the list of programmes offered by Institute of Technology Carlow by number of students registered, full or part-time status; the percentage of delivery provided by staff of the institute in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41905/20]

Photo of Matt ShanahanMatt Shanahan (Waterford, Independent)
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480. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Question No. 313 of 26 November 2020, the breakdown of the 3,682 part-time enrolled students of Institute of Technology Carlow, by course, location of campus, the name of the collaborative provision partner if there is one, the NAQI level and the e enrolment and full-time equivalent of that enrolment in tabular form [41906/20]

Photo of Matt ShanahanMatt Shanahan (Waterford, Independent)
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481. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Question No. 313 of 26 November 2020, the county of domiciliary origin of the 3,682 part-time students enrolled in the Institute of Technology Carlow in tabular form. [41907/20]

Photo of Simon HarrisSimon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 479 to 481, inclusive, together.

The Higher Education Authority (HEA) collects statistical data from the higher education institutions, and the detailed field of study and programme type is the most granular level of statistical data that the HEA provides data on. The HEA does not have statistics by institutional campus location and by collaborative partners. The HEA works on the basis of actual student numbers. 

The information that the HEA is able to provide is contained in the attached excel spreadsheet.

">HEA Data

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