A resource pack has been developed for schools to help students understand Ireland's history of Magdalene Laundries.

Waterford Institute of Technology has created the project which will be available for senior cycle students.

It has been developed in consultation with survivors, and it examines Magdalene Laundries and Industrial Schools in the south-east of the country.

The pack developed by Dr Jennifer O’Mahoney and Dr Kate McCarthy is available online from 4pm today and addresses themes such as human rights and social change.

Dr O’Mahoney, Principal Investigator of the Waterford Memories Project, and Lecturer in Psychology at WIT, cautioned against the destruction of such sites.

Dr O'Mahoney said: “Engaging with the sites of Magdalene history has become increasingly pertinent as Irish citizens bear witness to the destruction of these physical memory sites across Ireland, as the sites are either demolished or re-purposed for property development.”

Dr Kate McCarthy, lecturer in Drama, noted that interviews and discussions with survivors of the Magdalene Laundries have highlighted “their desire to have their experiences recognised as part of the narrative of Irish history.”