Jack Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
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Question 18: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the reason he is reluctant to use the full rigours of the law to close down bogus educational institutions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44337/08]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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Section 52 of the Universities Act, 1997, prohibits the use of the term 'University' where the organisation is engaged in the provision of education services unless the Minister for Education and Science consents to the use of the term. When my Department has become aware of organisations using the term without consent, appropriate action has been taken.

In most cases, when the legislative requirements were explained, the organisations concerned voluntarily agreed to stop using the title. Agreement has also been reached with the Companies Registration Office that any business name applied for which features the term 'University' will not be accepted without the express approval of the Department of Education and Science. In addition, the Irish Domain Registry has agreed not to register web addresses using the title 'University'.

In addition, the Department maintains an Internationalisation Register containing programmes which are approved for the purpose of access to work by students who are citizens from outside the EU/EEA and Switzerland. Only programmes which have been quality assured and/or lead to recognised qualifications are included on the Register. Both the Internationalisation Register and a list of approved higher education providers are maintained on the Department's website.

My Department is also considering a number of new measures which are intended to bring greater clarity and focus to the international education market. We will, in particular, be examining how functions in the regulatory area can be allocated in the context of the overall rationalisation of agencies as well as developing mechanisms to increase the levels of co-ordination between the various stakeholders in the promotion of Irish education services overseas.