Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)

The legislation amalgamating the qualifications and quality assurance bodies will include provision for the amalgamated agency to establish a code of practice and quality mark for the provision of educational services to international students. Education and training providers will be able to apply for the quality mark based on their compliance with the code of practice, which will cover such issues as treatment of fees and support services for international students. Additional measures will apply to providers of English language courses. The quality mark will be a valuable promotional tool for education and training providers, and it is a necessary tool.

In addition, under new arrangements recently put in place by the Minister to promote Ireland as a centre for international education, Enterprise Ireland has been given operational responsibility, under his authority, for the marketing and promotion of the "Education Ireland" brand overseas and the development, promotion and marketing of international higher education. I was surprised at the Deputy's comments in this regard because on a number of recent visits I was aware of Enterprise Ireland having an input. It may differ from place to place, I am not sure.

Co-ordination of our national effort is hugely important. That is why the Minister has established a high level group on international education, which will co-ordinate the efforts of the education sector and the national agencies. This group will meet for the first time next week.

See this speech in context