I move amendment No. 1:
In page 4, line 18, after "Act" to insert "and shall comprise such and so many colleges as may be determined by the Minister, from time to time, on the recommendation of the Vocational Education Committee or of the Governing Body made following consultation with the Vocational Education Committee".
Basically what we propose here is to insert this amendment after "The Institute shall be considered from the institutions specified in the First Schedule to this Act." What we are trying to do is make advance accommodation for future developments and we propose to do so in a number of ways. First, we recognise the right of the vocational education committee or the governing body to recommend additional colleges for inclusion as colleges constituted under this Bill.
Earlier today, on Report Stage of the Regional Technical Colleges Bill, we tried to enshrine in the Bill the right of vocational education committees to ascertain the needs and the future developments of vocational education. In this case we can justify the inclusion of the City of Dublin Vocational Education Committee, which was established in 1930 and gradually brought on stream six colleges — Kevin Street college, Bolton Street college, Rathmines college, The College of Marketing and Design, Cathal Brugha Street college and the College of Music. These colleges are at such a stage of development that they are enshrined in this legislation as permanent features of third level education. We want to see every possible opportunity afforded to these colleges, as has been afforded to universities, so that they can be recognised as having a permanent place in the whole sphere of third level education.
Dublin City Vocational Education Committee had the foresight to identify niche markets and clear needs in third level education. They set up these colleges under the aegis of the 1930 Act and no special legislation was introduced as the colleges came on stream and developed their top class third level resources. What we are proposing now is that the City of Dublin Vocational Education Committee be afforded the right to identify future needs within their functional area as these needs arise. If the vocational education committee — who will be aware, as they have been in the past, of the needs of the city — are not afforded this right, it should be afforded to the governing body, which is an amalgam of the various interest groups: the nominated members of the vocational education committee, specialist interest groups elected by the vocational education committee to nominate persons, academic and non-academic staff, the students' union and the Irish Congress of Trade Unions. If the governing body identify a need for future development they should have the right to make such a recommendation. We are trying to be as positive as we can in terms of this amendment and this Bill and we ask the Minister to accept the spirit of what we are trying to achieve.