Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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750. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills when the remaining sections of the Qualifications and Quality Assurance (Education and Training) (Amendment) Act 2019 will be commenced, in particular when section 23 will commence. [16834/21]

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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753. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills when the remaining sections of the Qualifications and Quality Assurance (Education and Training) (Amendment) Act 2019 will be commenced; when section 23 will commence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17018/21]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take question Nos. 750 and 753 together.

The Qualifications and Quality Assurance (Education and Training) (Amendment) Act 2019 was signed into law on 23rd July 2019. While many of the provisions of the Act have been commenced, a number of Sections have yet to be. These are Sections 9, 14, 23, 25 to 33, and 38.

A considerable amount of preparatory work is required to facilitate the full implementation of the remaining Sections of the Act and it is my Department’s intention that substantial progress will be made on advancing this work in 2021. My Department is actively working with Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI) to put in place, on a sustainable basis, the necessary resources that are required to implement these new statutory functions.

With regard to Section 23 of the Act referred to by the Deputy, the policy intention of this Section is to underpin the statutory basis for all qualifications to be included within the National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ) and to open access to the NFQ for a wider range of awarding bodies than it has pertained to, to date. An important provision under Section 23 will be the establishment of a new class of awarding body, to be known as a Listed Awarding Body, eligible to offer qualifications that are included within the NFQ.

Many useful qualifications are currently available outside of the NFQ, including qualifications offered by professional, sectoral and international bodies. It is the intention that in the future such bodies will be able to seek, on a voluntary basis, regulated access to the NFQ. The opening up of the NFQ to a broader range of qualifications is a commitment in our National Skills Strategy, it is consistent with best practice internationally, and is a policy direction supported under EU ambition for a European Education Area and the delivery of the European Skills Agenda.

In order for this Section of the legislation to be commenced it will be necessary for QQI in the first instance to develop the policies and criteria for Listed Awarding Bodies and the Inclusion of Awards in the NFQ. This is envisaged by the end of 2021. This Section of the legislation can then be commenced following QQI's consultation on the relevant policies and criteria.