Maeve O'Connell (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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298. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the progress of a further sectoral consultation with providers engaging with the new learner protection fund. [36415/25]

James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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All outstanding provisions of the Qualifications and Quality Assurance (Education and Training) (Amendment) Act 2019 were commenced on 1 September 2024. This Act provides the legislative underpinning for a range of new statutory functions under the remit of Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI) including a new Protection of Enrolled Learners (PEL) scheme underpinned by the establishment of a Learner Protection Fund (LPF). This commencement was accompanied by two Ministerial Regulations detailing the operational arrangements for the new LPF alongside the charges payable by obligated providers to the Fund.

At the launch event for these new functions, held in September 2024, noting concerns raised by providers in respect of the new PEL scheme, it was announced that the Department would be undertaking further consultation with sectoral providers and stakeholders in relation to its implementation. This process is currently underway and is being supported by Grant Thornton who have been appointed by the Department to assist with this engagement.

Grant Thornton has completed its consultation with providers and stakeholders to both collect relevant sectoral and learner data as well as to obtain wider perspectives on the new scheme. Grant Thornton has also engaged with regulatory bodies in other jurisdictions to gain further insights on international comparators to Ireland’s PEL arrangements.

Based on this work, Grant Thornton is currently preparing a report and recommendations for the implementation of the new PEL scheme. This work is at an advanced stage and it is expected that this report will be submitted for the consideration of the Minister later this month.