Following a meeting of the Roman Catholic hierarchy, Maynooth University will increase the intake of lay students.
The decision to admit lay students to all academic courses at St Patrick's College Maynooth from next September was announced following the June meeting of the Roman Catholic hierarchy.
Two years ago the college admitted members of religious orders to study theology, arts and science, and a diploma course in education has also been available to lay students.
The decision to expand numbers of students in Maynooth will build on these developments, says Cardinal William Conway, Catholic Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland,
This policy of Maynooth as an open centre is gathering momentum.
There are no plans however for Maynooth to become a university the size of University College Dublin (UCD) or Trinity College Dublin (TCD).
An RTÉ News report broadcast on 18 June 1968. A section of this report is mute.
