Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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434. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if a regulatory impact assessment for English language schools has been prepared for the new regulations due to be introduced in a few weeks; the role the accreditation and co-ordination of English Language Services and Quality and Qualifications Ireland had in preparing them. [19644/15]

Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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435. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if protections for teachers in English language schools have been included in the proposed Regulatory Impact Assessment, in order to address their worsening working conditions, including being forced to work as contractors, the issue of zero hour contracts, and the requirement for unsalaried teachers to work substantial extra hours unpaid. [19645/15]

Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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436. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if regulation for English language schools will now be subject to primary legislation and stated objective standards with required wind-down procedures for schools that do close. [19646/15]

Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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437. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if a graduated system of removal of accreditation of English language schools will be introduced that may allow schools six weeks to get up to code and be subject to re-inspection before removal of accreditation. [19647/15]

Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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438. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if new regulations address the need for a form of learner protection or in any way assess the financial viability of a school receiving visas of one year's duration. [19648/15]

Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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439. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills her plans to bring the accreditation and co-ordination of English language services under the auspices of the Ombudsman. [19649/15]

Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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440. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will be required to approve any regulations prepared by the accreditation and co-ordination of English language services; and if the accreditation will be required to publish explanations for rules introduced, including evidence of assessment of the economic impact of such regulations on the sector. [19650/15]

Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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441. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if an assessment has been carried out as to whether the accreditation and co-ordination of English language services is fit for purpose, in view of the obvious regulatory failure that has resulted in the closure of 16 schools in the past 18 months, in many cases due to removal of accreditation. [19651/15]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 434 to 441, inclusive, together.

I wish to clarify in the first instance the function of the ACELS (Accreditation and Coordination of English Language Services) recognition scheme. ACELS is a voluntary national scheme responsible for the development and management of the recognition and inspection of English language teaching organisations. It is not a regulatory body, as suggested by the Deputy in a number of his questions. ACELS therefore has no role in preparing regulations for the international education sector or in conducting either a regulatory impact assessment or an economic impact assessment of the sector.

The objective of ACELS is to establish and maintain standards in English language teaching organisations. Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI), the State agency which operates ACELS, is under the remit of the Ombudsman.

As ACELS is a voluntary scheme, English language providers can operate in Ireland without having ACELS recognition. Equally, ACELS does not close English language providers or stop providers from operating and ACELS recognition is not compulsory for providers wishing to recruit international students. Many of the English language colleges that have closed over the last year have been operating in the State for a number of years without ACELS recognition.

With regard to the Deputy's question in relation to the working conditions of teachers, the relationship between teachers and private colleges is based on a private contract so issues such salary and working hours are a matter between the two parties. The regulations governing ACELS recognised schools specify a requirement that all obligations relating to national employment legislation are complied with. If teachers have a concern about their terms and conditions of employment they should contact the National Employment Rights Authority in this regard.

My Department and the Department of Justice and Equality have produced a package of reforms to the student immigration system for international education which will be brought to Government for its approval shortly. These reforms were prepared by the two Departments, rather than by ACELS or QQI. While it is not possible to provide specific details of the reforms prior to their approval by Government as requested in a number of the Deputy's questions, I wish to inform the Deputy that the reforms are designed to improve the overall quality of offering to international students, improve protection for learners, enhance Ireland's reputation and diminish negative impacts on the Irish labour market and social protection costs, strongly in line with the goals of Ireland's international education strategy.

Finally, there are no plans at present to introduce primary legislation for this sector.