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Institutes of Technology
Institutes of Technology (ITs) are further and higher education colleges. There are currently fourteenITs in Ireland. Despite their titles, they are not confined to studies in technology, and engage in both teaching and research in a wide range of disciplines, much of which is at universitylevel. Their principal function is, by law, is…
To provide vocational and technical education and training for the economic, technological, scientific, commercial, industrial, social andcultural development of the State with particular reference to the region served by the college … (Regional Technical Colleges Act 1992, s 5)
These institutes were proposed in the 1960s, with thefirst of them opening their doors in 1970. They were originally designated as “Regional Technical Colleges” (RTCs), and the modern title of IT was conferred on each of them during the 1990s.Nearly all were new creations, though Dublin IT (established in 1978, recognised in legislation in 1992) was an amalgamation of existing colleges, some of which can trace their origins back tothe 1880s.
There are currently proposals by which groups of ITs would be amalgamated, and the resulting institutions be designated as Technological Universities See TechnologicalUniversities.

Overall management is similar to that of universities, each IT having a Director, a Registrar, a Governing Council and an Academic Council. ITs do not however have power to confer theirown degrees. Very roughly, their degree-level awards are validated by the Higher Education and Training Awards Council (HETAC) (Website¦Wikipedia) and their other awards either by the FurtherEducation and Training Awards Council (FETAC) (Website¦Wikipedia) or by relevant professional bodies. (DIT is however in an exceptional position, having power to award its own degrees.)