Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)

Anyway, I had intended to state that a consultation process took place during which 100 submissions were received. It is being considered by an interdepartmental committee on student immigration that is chaired by my Department. It is to be hoped that the committee will report fairly soon and that the matter will be brought to the Government in the not too distant future. I absolutely agree with the Deputy that there is great merit in seeking international business by bringing in people from abroad and educating them in Ireland, provided it is done in the context of ensuring that our immigration system is absolutely sacrosanct.

Unfortunately, there have been cases in which this has been abused and I can provide Members with some information in this respect. On inspection some time ago, a college in Dublin 8 had no desks, whiteboards, blackboards, books or papers. The so-called principal was unwilling to open the doors of the college, which effectively was being used as residential accommodation. At another college in Cork that was visited, none of the 70 so-called students who were registered was in attendance. The excuse given was that the students were off on their mid-term break. This site was visited again during the following month, when only eight students out of 59 were in attendance. A similar occurrence took place at a college which has branches in Dublin 2 and Dublin 9. When it was visited by the investigation unit, no students were in attendance-----

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