asked the Minister for Education if he will investigate and rectify the situation whereby a master's degree qualifies for a smaller extra allowance than an honours primary degree for post-primary or primary teacher.

The rates of allowances payable to teachers in respect of academic qualifications are negotiated under the terms of the conciliation and arbitration scheme for teachers. The scheme provides that matters coming within its scope will be dealt with exclusively through the machinery of the scheme.

It would not be appropriate, there-fore, for me to make any comment in relation to the matter.

Would the Minister tell us whether or not the Department is resisting, in the course of this conciliation and negotiation machinery, claims from the teaching organisation to have more appropriate allowances paid for higher qualifications?

I am not so aware.

Will the Minister accept that it is reasonable to assume that somebody who has a master's degree, which implies at least one if not more years of study above and beyond the basic honours qualification, would be in a position to reasonably expect financial remuneration in accordance with the extra years of effort? Will the Minister accept responsibility for some initiative in that regard?

The Deputy will accept that what he is suggesting is disrespectful and an abuse of the system of conciliation and arbitration which exists. I am quite sure that his colleagues in his organisation and in my organisation would not welcome his contribution.

Would the Minister accept that there are cases where conciliation and arbitration are the appropriate channels, but if that was all we needed we could dispense with all the Ministers? There are cases occasionally where Ministers could exercise Ministerial responsibility, and this might be one of them.

This matter can be dealt with satisfactorily only between the parties at conciliation and arbitration.