The Minister for Education and Skills, Ruairí Quinn T.D., is seeking expressions of interest from suitably qualified and experienced persons for positions on Boards of State Bodies and Agencies under the aegis of his Department where vacancies will occur up to 1
st March 2012.
Vacancies will occur on the boards of Léargas, the Higher Education Authority (HEA) and the Qualifications and Quality Assurance Authority of Ireland (QQAAI).
The Minister said: "This is an opportunity for suitably qualified and experienced members of the public to play an active role in the education sector by influencing and shaping the policy direction of the State Bodies and Agencies under the aegis of my Department."
Expressions of interest will be sought from time to time to fill vacancies that will arise during 2012 on other Boards of State Bodies and Agencies under the aegis of the Department of Education and Skills.
The Department’s website, www.education.ie, and the Public Appointments Service’s website, www.publicjobs.ie, will advertise board vacancies as they arise.
Notes for the Editor:
Léargas Ltd – The Exchange Bureau
Léargas is a not-for-profit organisation which manages European, national and international exchange and co-operation programmes in education, training and youth and community work. It was established as an agency under the aegis of the Department of Education and Skills in 1993.
Its functions include acting as national agency for the majority of the elements of the EU Lifelong Learning Programme 2007-2013 (including the Comenius, Leonardo Da Vinci and Grundtvig sub-programmes supporting cross-border mobility), the EU Youth in Action Programme 2007-2013 and other international programmes in Ireland. Léargas also acts as employer and provides organisational support for the National Centre for Guidance in Education (NCGE) which provides support on guidance policy and practice in all areas of education to the Department, relevant organisations and agencies and guidance practitioners.
The Léargas board has nine members (directors) all of whom are appointed by the Minister, including three representatives of the Departments of Education and Skills and Children and Youth Affairs. Four vacant positions on the board are due to be filled immediately.
Travelling and subsistence allowances will be paid in respect of journeys undertaken to attend meetings of the Board or to transact its business.
Higher Education Authority (HEA)
The Higher Education Authority (HEA) is the statutory funding authority for the Universities, Institutes of Technology (IoTs) and a number of other designated higher education institutions and is an advisory body to the Minister for Education and Skills in relation to the higher education sector. The HEA was established on a statutory basis by the Higher Education Authority Act 1971. The general functions of the HEA as defined in that and subsequent Acts are:
§ furthering the development of higher education,
§ assisting in the co-ordination of State investment in higher education and preparing proposals for such investment,
§ promoting an appreciation of the value of higher education and research,
§ promoting the attainment of equality of opportunity in higher education,
§ promoting the democratisation of the structure of higher education,
§ conduct reviews of the strategic plans, equality policies and the quality assurance procedures of the universities and to publish reports of such reviews,
§ promoting attainment and maintenance of excellence in learning, teaching and research in higher education.
Ten board vacancies including the Chairman position are due to arise on the Higher Education Authority on the 31st January 2012 for both academic and non-academic[1] members.
Members are entitled to claim travel and subsistence allowances in accordance with approved public sector rates. An annual allowance, which is currently €7,695, is payable to ordinary members of the Authority. It should be noted however, that under revised Department of Finance arrangements, it is now a requirement that public servants:
who sit on state boards in an ex officio capacity or on behalf of their parent Department/organisation or
who may be nominated to such board positions independently of their public service employment
should not be paid remuneration in the form of board fees when serving in such a representational capacity.
Qualifications and Quality Assurance Authority of Ireland
The Qualifications and Quality Assurance Authority of Ireland (QQAAI) will be a new statutory body which deals with education and training awards and qualifications and the quality assurance of institutions of education and training. The establishment of QQAAI will bring about the amalgamation of the National Qualifications Authority of Ireland (NQAI), the Further Education and Training Awards Council (FETAC) and the Higher Education and Training Awards Council (HETAC) into a single qualifications and quality assurance agency. QQAAI will also have responsibility for the functions currently performed by the Irish Universities Quality Board (IUQB), which was established by the universities to externally assure their quality assurance arrangements.
The Authority shall consist of 8 members, including a Chief Executive. The Minister will appoint a Chairperson from amongst the membership of the Authority, excluding the Chief Executive
Travelling and subsistence allowances will be paid in respect of journeys undertaken to attend meetings of the Authority or to transact its business.