THIRD LEVEL: The Opticians Board of Ireland has lifted its ban on the DIT school of optometry taking in first year students in September.

The board says it is satisfied "with what the DIT has done and what it plans to do" to bring the optometry course and its facilities up to standard.

On January 29th, 2002, the Board sent a letter to DIT president Brendan Goldsmith warning it was considering withdrawing accreditation from the optometry course at DIT Kevin Street and could not allow the admission of new students in September, citing the lack of teaching staff and the poor state of the clinical facilities for students.

Due to subsequent appointments made by the DIT and a planned overhaul of the facilities, the board has withdrawn its objections.

"The DIT has made a major commitment to optometry over the last year. We've been given two additional full-time lecturers at assistant lecturer grade and two other part-time lecturers," says Paul Horan, acting optometry course head.

Perhaps the biggest coup for the optometry department comes with the sanctioning of the upgrading of the vacant position as head of the course to a senior lecturer 2 post. The position had previously been offered at a structured lecturer grade, which starts at €39,631.06, far below the usual salary of a qualified and experienced optometrist.

The DIT will advertise the new post in the next two weeks.

Some €1 million will also be spent on a clinic where optometry students will be able to see patients.