Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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1306. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he has received a request from a centre (details supplied) for a waiver of the QQ1 regarding the engagement fee based on section 80 of the Qualifications and Quality Assurance (Education and Training) Act 2012; his views on this request; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19115/21]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI) is the national agency responsible for qualifications and quality assurance in further education and training and higher education in Ireland. TheQualifications and Quality Assurance (Education and Training) Act2012, which established QQI, requires that quality assurance underpins the relationship between QQI and the providers with which it engages. QQI has undertaken a re-engagement process with its legacy providers to renew this quality assurance relationship. As part of this process QQI has worked closely with stakeholders from the Community and Voluntary Sector to identify appropriate solutions that balance the need to continue to facilitate this sector’s education providers to support hard-to-reach learners, with the responsibility to ensure that all providers that engage with QQI are equipped to meet the same robust quality assurance standards.

The level of QQI fees to be applied for the purposes of re-engagement has been subject to extensive deliberation to ensure that they are applied equitably. It was determined during this process that it would not be possible to develop a fee waiver scheme which would be fair, equitable, objective and justifiable given the diversity of providers in this sector.

I understand that the education and training provider referred to by the Deputy has been in contact with QQI directly about this issue.