asked the Minister for Education the number of vacant teaching posts in the Regional Technical and Dublin Colleges for which a recommendation for sanction by his Department was made following interviews by the appropriate board of management or vocational educational committee; when each recommendation was made; in each case, why such sanction has been withheld; the average time taken to sanction such appointments having received the recommendation from the various college authorities; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

According to the information available to my Department there are 37 proposals made by vocational education committees for the appointment of teachers to posts in the regional technical colleges and Dublin Colleges of Technology which have not yet been sanctioned.

Before formal sanction can be conveyed for such appointments it is necessary to ensure that all the statutory requirements have been fully complied with in the matter of the level of post, suitability of qualifications, selection procedures, and so on. The time which such consideration takes varies from case to case depending on circumstances. The majority of the posts now in question relate to the current school year and to some extent have been delayed owing to the necessity of obtaining additional information from vocational education committees in the matter.

The Minister is, I am sure, aware that the current school year extends back to last September. Can the Minister not answer the question in regard to when each recommendation was made? My information is that the time taken for the sanctioning of appointments to RTCs and Dublin colleges is extremely long and that the delay is upsetting the schedules and courses of the colleges?

I cannot in all the circumstances undertake to hasten appointments without seeing that all statutory requirements have been complied with, that the qualifications are correct and so on.

Is the Minister aware that an undue delay is being experienced in the sanctioning of appointments to RTCs and technological colleges?

I would not like if that were true. I assure the Deputy that if he brings any case to me in which I find it is true I will speed it up.

Will the Minister undertake to examine the 37 appointments?

They have been examined very carefully. There is a list of reasons why there is a delay in the sanctioning of the appointments.

Question No. 34.

Will the Minister tell the House what procedures he is adopting to ensure that the postal strike is not interrupting the examination of these urgent appointments to the colleges?

I am not concerned with the postal strike in this instance. It is very easy to communicate with the officers in the Dublin colleges.