The legislative programme includes two references to important Bills on universities, namely, the universities (amendment) Bill which aims to deal with remuneration, allowances and pensions which need to be addressed urgently and No. 76, technological universities Bill, which aims to amend the DIT and HEA Acts. Can we expect to see urgent action on these Bills? Will they be brought before the House within a short timeframe?

On the first Bill to which the Deputy referred dealing with pay and conditions, the matter is at a relatively advanced stage. The second Bill to which the Deputy referred is a large piece of legislation on the third level landscape. It will involve provisions to enable existing institutes of technology to merge, if they wish to do so. It will also provide for the requirements for any merged institute of technology which wishes to proceed to try to achieve technological university status. I expect to have the heads of the Bill within the Department before the end of this calendar year and hope to have it enacted during 2014. On current calculations, it will be at the latter end of 2014.