33. (1) The Minister shall prepare a strategy (in this section referred to as a “strategy”) for the provision of tertiary education, which shall identify the objectives and outputs for the further education and training system and the higher education and research system and it shall relate to such period as the Minister considers appropriate, being a period of not more than 10 years.

(2) The first strategy shall be prepared by the Minister as soon as practicable and, in any event, not later than 3 years after the commencement of section 7.

(3) Not later than 3 months after the expiration of the period to which a strategy relates, the Minister shall prepare another strategy for the immediately following period of not more than 10 years.

(4) The Minister shall, in the preparation of a strategy, have regard to—

(a) any national policies that are relevant to the strategy, including policies relating to social, economic, cultural and environmental development and sustainability and the promotion and use of the Irish language,

(b) the further education and training system and the higher education and research system and how those systems relate to each other,

(c) the anticipated cost of implementing the strategy, and

(d) the availability of resources.

(5) The Minister shall, for the purposes of preparing or amending a strategy, consult with—

(a) the Minister for Education and such other Ministers of the Government as the Minister considers appropriate,

(b) An tÚdarás,

(c) An tSeirbhís,

(d) the Qualifications and Quality Assurance Authority of Ireland,

(e) F6[Taighde Éireann,]

(f) the National Apprenticeship Office established pursuant to section 18,

(g) the designated institutions of higher education or their representative bodies,

(h) institutions providing further education and training or their representative bodies,

(i) representatives of students or students’ unions,

(j) trades unions or staff associations of members of staff of designated institutions of higher education which are recognised by those institutions,

(k) trades unions or staff associations of members of staff of institutions providing further education and training which are recognised by those institutions,

(l) public research funders, and

(m) such other bodies or persons as the Minister considers appropriate.

(6) The Minister shall publish the strategy as soon as practicable after its completion in such manner as the Minister considers appropriate.

(7) A strategy shall be reviewed by the Minister from time to time and it may be amended by the Minister if he or she considers it appropriate so to do.

(8) The Minister shall publish an amended strategy as soon as practicable after the completion of a review under subsection (7) in such manner as the Minister considers appropriate.