Higher Education Colleges Association (HECA)

Lobbying Organisation Higher Education Colleges Association (HECA)

Date published 20 Sep, 2019

Relevant Matter Legislation

Public Policy Area Education and Training

Period 1 May, 2019 to 31 Aug, 2019

Specific Details An amendment to the Quality Assurance (Education and Training) (Amendment) Bill 2018 under Section 65 (3) Subsection (1)

Intended results To provide information in relation to academic bonding not already in the possession of the Oireachtas Joint and Select Committee of Education and Skills with a view to recognition of the Higher Education Colleges Association Protection of the Enrolled Learner Scheme (HECA PEL Scheme) within the proposed Quality Assurance (Education and Training) (Amendment) Bill 2018. HECA proposed an amendment to the Quality Assurance (Education and Training) (Amendment) Bill 2018 whereby a scheme of learner protection approved by QQI at the time of the passing of the Bill is not required to come under the new national Learner Protection Fund (LPF). HECA members have an established LPF (HECA PEL Scheme) which is approved by QQI under the 2012 Act, and proposed that provisions are included to exempt established, QQI approved LPF from the new national learner protection scheme

Name of person primarily responsible for lobbying on this activity Patricia O Sullivan, HECA Executive Director.

Did any Designated Public Official(DPO) or former Designated Public Official(DPO) carry out lobbying activities on your behalf in relation to this return? You must include yourself, and answer Yes, if you are a current DPO or a DPO at any time in the past. (What is a Designated Public Official?) No

Did you manage or direct a grassroots campaign? No

Was this lobbying done on behalf of a client? No

Lobbying activity

The following activities occurred for this specific Subject Matter Area.

Email (11-20)

Patricia O Sullivan, Executive Director of the Higher Education Colleges Association (HECA) emailed members of the Select and Joint Committee of Education and Skills, Minister Mary Mitchell O Connor and her special advisor Roy Dooney, in June 2019, about the proposed amendment to the Quality Assurance (Education and Training) (Amendment) Bill 2018

Meeting (1)

Professor Diarmuid Hegarty, HECA Board member, contacted Deputy Thomas Byrne, member of the Joint & Select Committee on Education & Skills, in June 2019, to provide information in relation to academic bonding not already in the possession of the Oireachtas Joint and Select Committee of Education and Skills with a view to recognition of the Higher Education Colleges Association Protection of the Enrolled Learner Scheme (HECA PEL Scheme) within the proposed Quality Assurance (Education and Training) (Amendment) Bill 2018.

Designated public officials lobbied

The following DPOs were lobbied during this return period on this specific Subject Matter Area. These DPOs were involved in at least one of the Lobbying Activities listed above, but not necessarily all of them. As returns are specific to a Subject Matter Area the above Lobbying Activities may be associated with multiple returns.

Thomas Byrne TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Mary Mitchell O’Connor Minister of State (Department of Education and Skills)

Catherine Martin TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Tony McLoughlin TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Fiona O'Loughlin TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Jan O'Sullivan TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Lynn Ruane Senator (Seanad)

Maria Byrne Senator (Seanad)

Paul Gavan Senator (Seanad)

Robbie Gallagher Senator (Seanad)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin Senator (Seanad)

Kathleen Funchion TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Hildegarde Naughton TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Roy Dooney Special Advisor (Department of Education and Skills)