Professor Vincent Cunnane:

I thank the Senator for her interest, as always, in this space. Yes we have signed a memorandum of understanding for the Cleeves site in Limerick, which is State-owned land there. Two facets for us would be to take on a significant teaching component there and to transfer of a number of students, up to 1,000 students, from our land at the constrained or limited Moylish site and take them into the city centre. This would revive the city centre as well with 1,000 students. We are also in talks with Limerick Twenty Thirty about the student accommodation. As the Senator has rightly said, this is State-owned land. Through Limerick Twenty Thirty, a designated activity company, DAC, that is an offshoot of Limerick City and County Council, there is an opportunity to do things in a different way rather than just through the State-owned activities and this may break some barriers. Certainly the belief is that Limerick Twenty Thirty would be in a position to borrow money and build student accommodation that would be a nexus for students from TUS, Mary Immaculate College and UL.