27.— (1) The Authority shall, as soon as practicable after the establishment day—

(a) issue guidelines (in this section referred to as “quality assurance guidelines”) for the establishment of procedures for quality assurance under section 28, and

(b) establish procedures (in this section referred to as “effectiveness review procedures”) for review by the Authority of the effectiveness of—

(i) the procedures for quality assurance established by relevant providers, and

(ii) the implementation of those procedures by relevant providers,

(c) having consulted with the National University of Ireland, issue guidelines for the establishment of procedures by the National University of Ireland under section 32(2), and

(d) having consulted with the National University of Ireland, establish procedures for review by the Authority of the effectiveness of—

(i) procedures for review established by the National University of Ireland under section 32(2), and

(ii) the implementation of those procedures for review by the National University of Ireland.

F12[(1A) As soon as practicable after the commencement of section 7 of the Qualifications and Quality Assurance (Education and Training) (Amendment) Act 2019, the Authority shall issue guidelines for the establishment of procedures by listed awarding bodies under section 55F(2).

(1B) The power under this section of the Authority—

(a) to issue quality assurance guidelines, or any other guidelines, and

(b) to establish effectiveness review procedures, or any other procedures,

includes, respectively, the power of the Authority to amend any of the foregoing guidelines, or issue guidelines to replace existing such guidelines, and the power of the Authority to amend any of the foregoing procedures, or establish procedures to replace existing such procedures.

(1C) In consequence of what is provided in the preceding subsection, a reference in this section to "issue" or "issuing", in respect of guidelines, or "establish" or "establishing", in respect of procedures, includes a reference, as the case may be—

(a) to "amend" or to "amending", or

(b) to do, or to the doing of, the act of issuing or establishing, as appropriate, guidelines or procedures by way of replacement of existing guidelines or procedures.]

(2) The Authority shall consult with relevant providers and linked providers before issuing quality assurance guidelines.

(3) The Authority shall consult with relevant providers before establishing effectiveness review procedures.

(4) Where—

(a) quality assurance guidelines and effectiveness review procedures apply to providers, and

(b) any or all of those providers are F13[designated institutions of higher education],

the Authority shall consult with An tÚdarás um Ard-Oideachas before issuing those guidelines and establishing those review procedures.

F12[(4A) Where—

(a) quality assurance guidelines and effectiveness review procedures apply to providers, and

(b) any or all of those providers are education and training boards or other bodies engaged in the provision of further education and training programmes, to whom moneys have been advanced under section 21 of the Further Education and Training Act 2013,

the Authority shall consult with Solas before issuing those guidelines and establishing those review procedures.]

(5) The Authority may consult with an awarding body before issuing quality assurance guidelines and establishing effectiveness review procedures where—

(a) the quality assurance guidelines and effectiveness review procedures apply to a provider of a programme of education and training, and

(b) successful completion of that programme of education and training of that provider leads to a joint award of the Authority and the awarding body under a joint awarding arrangement.

F14[(6) The Authority may—

(a) issue different quality assurance guidelines for different relevant, linked or associated providers, or groups of relevant, linked or associated providers,

(b) issue different quality assurance guidelines for different classes of programmes or different types of provision, and

(c) establish different effectiveness review procedures for different relevant, linked or associated providers or groups of relevant, linked or associated providers.]

(7) The Authority shall publish the quality assurance guidelines and effectiveness review procedures in such form and manner as it thinks appropriate (including on the internet).