Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent)
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244. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if there is a regulatory body and or regulations in place covering the area of foreign language students studying here including payment made to host families. [37004/13]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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The Accreditation and Co-ordination of English Language Services (ACELS) was established in 1969 under the auspices of the Department of Education to control standards in English-language schools and organisations through an inspection/recognition scheme. Responsibility for the ACELS function was given to Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI), formerly the National Qualifications Authority of Ireland (NQAI), in 2010.

The list of recognised English Language Training Organisations (ELTOs) is published on an annual basis and all recognised ELTOs are listed on the ACELS website (www.acels.ie) and on the Fáilte Ireland and Education in Ireland listings. Recognition is granted after a process of documentation submission and inspection of the organisation has taken place and been deemed to meet standards. Ongoing compliance is ensured through periodic reviews and inspections.

The standards with which ELTOs must comply are set out in the ACELS regulations, but these do not set out specific requirements relating to the payment of host families. However, if there are complaints regarding an ACELS-recognised provider then these can be brought to the attention of ACELS through their general complaints procedures.

It should be noted that recognition by ACELS is not mandatory for providers wishing to provide English-language training. ELTOs are free to decide for themselves whether they wish to become ACELS-recognised and thereby benefit from being listed as a recognised provider.