asked the Minister for Education when he proposes to give the Dublin Institute of Technology an expanded role in education and parity of esteem with the National Institute of Higher Education, Dublin.

The colleges of the Dublin Institute of Technology are institutions conducted by the City of Dublin Vocational Education Committee to supply continuation and technical education in accordance with the Vocational Education Acts.

The colleges have been designated under the National Council for Education Awards Act, 1979, for purposes of the grant of awards by that council and the range of courses in the colleges is fully comprehensive, embracing degree, diploma and certificate courses. I am satisfied that the colleges have, and are generally regarded as having, a standard of attainment and excellence in their areas of speciality fully comparable with any other third level educational institutions.

The question refers to the Dublin Institute of Technology having parity of esteem with the National Institute of Higher Education, Dublin. The difference is not so much a matter of status as of function. The National Institute of Higher Education exists principally to provide for graduate and non-graduate education in technology. The Colleges of the Dublin Institute of Technology provide for a range of requirements for industry and commerce from apprenticeship, through technician training, to professional qualifications. I would esteem both equally but regard their functions as not being identical.

On several occasions, when visiting the Colleges of the Dublin Institute of Technology, I have stressed my interest in and support for the development of these colleges. The proof of this support can be seen in the fact that I have approved the purchase of additional site area for the college in Bolton Street and have also recently authorised the appointment of consultants for the extension to that college and also for an extension to the college in Kevin Street.

The Minister did not say who did that one.

In relation to the appointment of consultants for the extension of the college in Kevin Street, I gave approval for that. That was in relation to a site which had been purchased by my predecessor.

Furthermore, I have also announced that, if specific proposals are received from Dublin City Vocational Education Committee for extra student places at Rathmines College of Commerce, the College of Marketing and Design and the Dublin College of Catering, such proposals will receive due consideration.

In view of these commitments, I do not believe that there can be any doubt about the high esteem in which I hold the Dublin Institute of Technology.

Is the Minister aware that there are frightful accommodation problems facing the Dublin Institute of Technology, that while they may be equally esteemed, they are far from being equally paid, that these anomalies have existed for some time and that there is no economic structure in the Dublin Institute of Technology which allows proper development or promotional opportunities? Would the Minister agree that it is because of all of these things that the Dublin Institute of Technology felt they were not being properly recognised and were heartened by the Fianna Fáil promise, before the election, that the Dublin Institute of Technology would be given a greatly expanded role in higher education and parity of esteem with the National Institute for Higher Education in Dublin? Will the Minister now set about honouring that promise?

I have already expressed in the course of my reply my high esteem for the DIT and the fact that I hold both the DIT and the NIHE equal but would regard their functions as not being identical. I also referred to the high esteem in which I personally hold the DIT, which indeed was accepted by the Deputy in the course of his supplementary question.

With regard to the question of salary levels, the Deputy will be aware that there has been a group meeting with regard to amendments to circular 14 of 1979 which has caused an amount of dissatisfaction in relation both to salary and provisions on the part of the staff. I am hopeful that, following the very genuine contribution made by all sides in relation to this matter in the recent past, it will be possible to bring about a resolution in the relatively near future. It might be interesting to compare, however, some of the salary scales. The scale for a lecturer II in DIT rises to a maximum of £15,318, which is the equivalent of the maximum for a lecture in NIHE, although the NIHE lecturer starts at £10,974 as compared to lecturer II in the DIT who commences at £11,065.

I accept entirely, and I referred to it in my reply, that there is difficulty in relation to accommodation problems in some of the colleges. This was why I sanctioned at the cost of several million pounds the purchase of the site in Bolton Street for expansion of the facilities there and also sanctioned commencement of building of the extension to Kevin Street which my predecessor had initiated. I would be very anxious to receive from Dublin Vocational Education Committee proposals in regard to improvements in the other colleges, specifically in relation to extra places for Rathmines, the College of Marketing and Design and the College of Catering. I assure the House that if I receive such proposals I will lose no time in having them processed and giving them every possible favourable consideration. There is certainly need for improvement in the accommodation in those colleges, especially in view of the very great work they have done over the years.