Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

There seems to be no end to this saga which has unfolded before our eyes. This morning a creditors meeting was held in the case involving the National College of Business Administration, NCBA. Astonishingly, it was revealed that the college had €5,000 in assets and €300,000 in debts at the time of its closure, this despite the fact that students had paid thousands of euro in fees in the days and weeks prior to its closure.

The students have been the main focus in this saga, but teachers and other staff have also been left out of pocket. Students chose and trusted the schools in question because they were included in the lists approved by the State. They had paid their fees, travelled to Ireland and kept their part of the deal. However, they arrived to find a sector which was entirely unregulated. When a school goes out of business, students find that, in effect, the State washes its hands of them. One student described the State's response in revealing terms, that it was like being surrounded by stone walls. Will the Government pursue this matter on behalf of the students involved? When will we see proper regulation of the sector? What protections can we expect to see in the regulations? What efforts will be made to recoup the moneys due to students, teachers and other creditors? Teaching and administrative staff in many of these schools are immensely fearful that there will be more closures.

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