Eoghan Murphy (Dublin South East, Fine Gael)
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578. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality her views on correspondence which has arisen with students of a college (details supplied) and other similar institutions. [25667/14]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy will be aware, my Department's role in this matter as the immigration authority, relates primarily to the immigration status of the students in question. Matters relating to the provision of education services and related issues are for the Department of Education and Skills. I can say, however, that the Australian Institute of Business (AIB) withdrew their accreditation from Eden College last year after a series of irregularities in the delivery of their programmes by the College, including very serious allegations of assisting students to cheat in the AIB exams. Similar revelations of exam cheating by Eden College London were made by a BBC Panorama investigation in February. Furthermore, regarding examinations in Eden College, the observed level of academic progress by students on the Bachelor of Business Administration Degree (BBA) was extremely poor. Press reports at the time of Eden's closure noted that pass rates for the various modules ranged from 11% to 32%. This may be accounted for by non-attendance at lectures, a practice facilitated by the alleged willingness of Eden College to supply international students with false attendance letters. It is also the case that a substantial number of students enrolled on the course were never registered with the accrediting body for examination purposes. It is difficult to avoid the conclusion that, with some exceptions, the BBA degree programme operated at Eden College was more about providing a means of facilitating residence in Ireland than a path to academic achievement.

The BBA accredited by the AIB is no longer offered by any teaching centre in Ireland. Indeed as I understand the situation, the AIB have now withdrawn accreditation from all of their teaching centres in the Irish market. However, given that the BBA is structured on a flexible modular basis and may be completed as a correspondence course from any location, students can return home and complete their degree in their country of origin. This may be the most suitable option for those students who have not fulfilled the conditions of their immigration permission, i.e. to attend their courses, to engage in full time study and to make suitable academic progress.

In a small minority of cases where the students have made considerable academic progress already and have shown themselves to be well motivated the possibility of alternative programmes in Ireland is being explored, subject to the time limits applicable to a student's stay in Ireland.