82.— (1) An Institute of Technology to which authority to make an award has been delegated under section 53 shall have a charter.

(2) The Minister may make regulations for the purposes of specifying the matters to be included in a charter referred to in subsection (1).

(3) Without prejudice to the generality of subsection (2), regulations made under that subsection may specify all or any of the following:

(a) arrangements for consultation and co-operation with the community, including commercial and industrial interests in that community, in the region served by the Institute of Technology concerned;

(b) criteria for determining the level of demand for particular programmes of education and training;

(c) policy in respect of adult and continuing education and the arrangements established for the provision of such education, including part-time and evening programmes;

(d) arrangements for the implementation of procedures for access, transfer and progression in relation to learners approved by the Authority under section 56;

(e) arrangements for the promotion and use of the Irish language and the promotion of the distinctive cultures of Ireland;

(f) quality assurance procedures the Institute of Technology has in place for its programmes of education and training;

(g) any other matter which the Minister considers appropriate for the purposes of a charter.

(4) Regulations made under subsection (2) may contain such incidental, supplementary and consequential provisions as appear to the Minister to be necessary or expedient for the purposes of those regulations.

(5) In preparing a charter, the governing body of an Institute of Technology—

(a) shall consult with the Authority in such manner as the Authority directs,

(b) shall consult, in such manner as the governing body thinks appropriate, with the academic council, the academic staff and other staff of the Institute, any recognised trade union or staff association, and any recognised student union or other student representative body, and

(c) may consult with any other person which the governing body considers appropriate.

(6) The governing body of an Institute of Technology shall submit a draft of a charter to the Minister and request that the Minister recognise the charter.

(7) The Minister may, by order, recognise the charter submitted under subsection (6) where he or she is satisfied that the charter is not in conflict with this Act or with the Institutes of Technology Acts 1992 to 2006.

(8) An order made under subsection (7) shall be laid before each House of the Oireachtas as soon as may be after it is made and, if a resolution annulling the order is passed by either such House within the next 21 days on which that House has sat after the order is laid before it, the order shall be annulled accordingly, but without prejudice to the validity of anything previously done under the charter recognised by the order.

(9) The Minister shall consult with the relevant Institute of Technology before revoking an order made under subsection (7).