Quality & Qualifications Ireland

QQI (Quality and Qualifications Ireland) is a state agency established by the Quality Assurance and Qualifications (Education and Training) Act 2012 with a board appointed by the Minister for Education and Skills. Our functions include those previously carried out by the Further Education and Training Awards Council (FETAC); the Higher Education and Training Awards Council (HETAC); the Irish Universities Quality Board (IUQB) and the National Qualifications Authority of Ireland (NQAI). Qualifications, Standards, Awards, Recognition In the area of qualifications, we are responsible for maintaining the ten-level NFQ (National Framework of Qualifications). We are also an awarding body and set standards for awards we make in the NFQ. We validate education and training programmes and make extensive awards in the Further Education and Training sector including in the Education and Training Boards. We also make awards in Higher Education mainly to learners in private providers. The universities and institutes of technology largely make their own awards. We also provide advice on recognition of foreign qualifications in Ireland and on the recognition of Irish qualifications abroad. As a new function of QQI, we will publish a directory of providers and awards in the NFQ. Quality Assurance In the area of quality assurance, we are responsible for reviewing the effectiveness of quality assurance in further and higher education providers in Ireland. This includes the universities, institutes of technology, Education and Training Boards and providers in the private further and higher education and training sectors (availing of QQI awards). We publish the outcomes of these external reviews on this website. IEM Another new function of QQI is to authorise the use of an International Education Mark (IEM) for providers. This will be awarded to providers of education and training (including English language training) who have demonstrated compliance with a statutory code of practice in the provision of education and training to international students.