In October 2016, three higher education institutions, St Patrick’s College, Drumcondra (SPD), Mater Dei Institute of Education (MDI), and Church of Ireland College of Education (CICE) were incorporated into Dublin City University (DCU) creating an integrated, multi-campus university. Following Incorporation on 1 October 2016, these institutions became part of DCU – a secular institution founded in the early 1980s and established as a university in 1989. Following Incorporation, DCU staff and student numbers increased by a third with staff increasing from 1,200 to 1,600 and student numbers increasing from 12,000 to 16,000, approximately.