Maria Byrne (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister of State and thank her for coming here to take these matters.

I wish to highlight the importance of Mary Immaculate College in Limerick in terms of teacher training. The college was founded in 1898 and is the oldest training college in the State for primary school teachers. It was started by the Sisters of Mercy as part of their convent on the South Circular Road and has expanded over many years. It is in the centre of the city. When it started, the college had a couple of hundred students. It now has almost 5,000 but some of its facilities have not been updated. Its library caters for approximately 700 students, which means that many of the college's students are being disenfranchised because they have to go on a waiting list to get a time slot for library access in the context of research and so on or, alternatively, are obliged to use the public library in Limerick. The number of students in the college and the number of courses on offer there are both growing. In addition to teacher training, the college now offers several other bachelor degrees and postgraduate courses. It plays a crucial role as people come from all over Ireland because its name is known worldwide. When people apply for jobs and so on, the name of the college is recognised. It has established very important links with the University of Limerick, which now accredits all of the college's graduates.

I wish to highlight the plight of the many students who are being disenfranchised by not being able to access the library because there is not enough space therein. The college has outgrown its library. The capital plan review is coming up shortly. It is very important that Mary Immaculate College be considered as part of that in terms of the development of third-level education because all Members will agree that primary school teaching is where we all start in education and it is so important that the students attending the college are not disenfranchised and get the same opportunity as those attending other colleges in terms of being able to undertake proper research.