1. Introduction

The National Qualifications Authority of Ireland was established in 2001 under the Qualifications (Education and Training) Act 1999.  One of its primary functions is to establish and maintain the National Framework of Qualifications.  The Qualifications Authority is currently undertaking a Quality Review which has been commissioned by the Department of Education and Science, in association with the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment and which will evaluate:

•  how effectively the Qualifications Authority has performed its principal statutory functions since its establishment 


•  the suitability of the organisational structures and processes of the executive of the Qualifications Authority for the   performance of  its functions in the future


•  the extent to which the Qualifications Authority, in the performance of its relevant functions, complies with the Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education Area.

The full Terms of Reference for the Quality Review are available to download here:

As indicated in the Terms of Reference, the Quality Review process consists of the following main elements:

• Commissioning of the review, including the appointment of the external panel of experts, by the Department of Education and Science in association with the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment
• Self-evaluation by the Qualifications Authority
• Evaluation by a panel of experts
• Consideration of the report of the panel by the Qualifications Authority and the development of a plan by the Qualifications Authority to implement the recommendations in the report
• Consideration of the review report and the Qualifications Authority’s plans by the Department of Education and Science and the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment
• Publication of Review Outcomes.

3. Self-Evaluation Report

The Qualifications Authority’s Self-Evaluation Report has now been completed and is available to download below.  The Authority would like to take this opportunity to thank the wide range of stakeholders whose feedback contributed greatly to the self-evaluation process.

4. Quality Review Expert Panel

The Expert Panel for the Quality Review of the Qualifications Authority has been confirmed by the Department of Education and Science in association with the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment.

The details of the External Panel can be now accessed.

5. European Standards & Guidelines

The third term of reference for the Qualifications Authority’s Quality Review, seeks to evaluate the extent to which the Qualifications Authority, in the performance of its relevant functions, complies with the Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education Area.

The document below sets out the eight standards for external quality assurance agencies (Part 3 of the European Standards & Guidelines) and the Qualifications Authority’s draft compliance statement for each one. It also provides a space for stakeholders to respond to and comment upon each of the compliance statements. 

We would like to invite individuals or organisations to register their responses to the compliance statements in the attached document and to return them, via email, by Wednesday 28 February to review@nqai.ie. Feedback received will inform the Authority’s Self-Assessment Report. We would like to thank you in advance for your assistance in this process.

6. Statutory Functions of the Qualifications Authority

  The Qualifications Authority is an agency of the Department of Education and Science and the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment.  It was established under the Qualifications (Education and Training) Act 1999.  The Qualifications Act includes the functions of the Qualifications Authority.  The purpose of the Quality Review is to evaluate how effectively the Qualifications Authority has performed these functions since its establishment in 2001.

The statutory functions of the Qualifications Authority are included below. 

7. Qualifications (Education and Training) Act 1999

The full text of the Qualifications (Education and Training) Act 1999 is available here.

Following an extensive period of internal and external consultation the Authority produced a Self-Evaluation Report addressing the terms of reference of its Quality Review. This was submitted to an External Panel for consideration, prior to its visit to the Authority from 14 to 17 May 2007. Over a three and a half day period the External Panel met with a wide range of stakeholders from across education and training as well as entering into detailed discussions with the Authority and its executive. Subsequent to this visit the Panel produced its Report on the ‘Quality Review of the National Qualifications Authority of Ireland’. This document is available below.

In accordance with its Terms of Reference for the Review, the Qualifications Authority produced a written response to the External Panel Report. The purpose of this response was to indicate the ‘overall conclusions’, ‘recommendations’ and ‘priority areas for consideration’ identified by the External Panel and to outline the Qualifications Authority’s responses to these findings. This document is available below.

External Panel Report

Response of the Qualifications Authority to the External Panel Report

9. Response of Commissioning Departments to External Panel Report and Response of Qualifications Authority

On 15 October 2007, the Qualifications Authority received the response of the Department of Education and Science and the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment to the External Panel’s Report and to the response of the Qualifications Authority to the External Panel’s findings.  A summary of the response of the Departments is available below.