Date Uploaded: 29/04/2016
DCU now has four campuses: the original Glasnevin site, St Patrick's teacher training college, Drumcondra, the recently- acquired All Hallows College, also in Drumcondra, while the DCU Alpha Innovation Campus and Ryan Academy are based at Citywest.
A new student centre, sports facilities, additional on-campus accommodation and state-of-the-art spaces geared to digital teaching are included in the infrastructural programme, which is being partly funded by a €76m, 23-year loan from the European Investment Bank.
The Ireland Strategic Investment Fund, managed by the National Treasury Management Agency (NTMA) will contribute a further €66m and other funding will come from donations, State grants, student contributions and the university itself.
The investment will allow for the upgrade of facilities at All Hallows and the construction of student accommodation, following the signing of final contracts for the purchase of the campus earlier this month.
Construction on a new student centre at Glasnevin will start this summer to create a purpose-built space for students' social, cultural, global engagement and entrepreneurial activities.
The university is now home to DCU Institute of Education, created by the coming together of St Patrick's, Mater Dei Institute of Education and the Church of Ireland College of Education with DCU, which will contribute to a rise in overall student numbers to 16,000 this September.
Source: www.independent.ie
Journalist: Katherine Donnelly