Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Solidarity)
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130. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will ensure that all third level institutions will be requested not to charge fees for the change of names or gender identities by students on records kept by the institution; if he will request all third level institutions to allow for names to be changed after graduation in order that academic records and qualification certificates can be issued with updated names; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34599/22]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Higher Education Institutions are autonomous institutions within the meaning of the Universities Act 1997, the Institutions of Technology Acts 1992 to 2006 and the Technological Universities Act 2018. Under this legislation, the institutions are academically independent and are entitled to regulate their academic affairs and administrative processes, including in relation to fees charged for changes to academic records and for the issuing of qualification certificates. Neither I nor my Department have a role in these internal processes.

Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI) is the state agency responsible for the external quality assurance of further and higher education and training in Ireland. As an awarding body, QQI facilitates requests for changes to name and gender identity of enrolled learners before and after graduation. QQI do not charge a fee for processing such changes within its records system.