John Lahart (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

196. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of English language schools and colleges here; the number of nationalities attending them proportionately by nationality. [23784/16]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The majority of English language schools in Ireland are privately run. Statistics on the number and nationality of students attending English language schools in Ireland are not maintained by my Department. The Deputy may wish to contact the Garda National Immigration Bureau, which has responsibility for registering non EEA students, in this regard.

However, my Department possesses data on the number of English language schools that are included on the Interim List of Eligible Programmes (ILEP) and/or are registered with ACELS (Accreditation and Co-ordination of English Language Services).

English language schools in Ireland seeking to enrol non EEA students must be listed on the ILEP. The ILEP, which is operated and maintained by the Department of Justice and Equality, is a list of education programmes considered to justify the granting of permission to students to live and work in Ireland. At present there are 126 providers listed on the ILEP.

Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI) operates ACELS, a voluntary scheme which grants recognition to English language schools in Ireland annually. Currently, there are 100 English language schools nationwide holding ACELS recognition. It should be noted that many ACELS recognised schools are also listed on the ILEP.

The ILEP process is an interim measure until the introduction of the International Education Mark (IEM) for the provision of education to international learners, which will provide a full quality framework in the future. The measures necessary to facilitate the introduction of the IEM are being progressed by my Department.

John Lahart (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

197. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his views on the present situation with English language colleges in Dublin; the way they are regulated and audited; the number that have ceased trading in the period 2010 to 2016; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23785/16]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The period 2010 to 2016 saw the closure of 16 English language providers nationally.

In line with the Government decision of 19 May 2015, a series of reforms to the student immigration system for international education are being implemented.

These reforms, which are being implemented by the Department of Justice and Equality in conjunction with my Department, include the restriction of the list of education programmes considered to justify the granting of permission to students to live and work in Ireland (known as the Interim List of Eligible Programmes – the ILEP).

As part of this new process all providers of English language training wishing to recruit non-EEA students are required to apply to the Department of Justice and Equality for inclusion on the ILEP. All English language providers seeking inclusion on the ILEP have to comply with certain new requirements including declaration of ownership, physical infrastructure, teacher qualifications, attendance rates, compulsory exam registration policies and maximum class size. They also need to have compulsory learner protection arrangements in place and a separate account facility to safeguard student advance payments. The first full iteration of the ILEP was published by the Department of Justice and Equality on 20th January 2016. The ILEP is updated at regular intervals by that Department.

For all providers, their listing on the ILEP is contingent on their ongoing compliance with immigration rules and continuing to meet the other conditions required. Providers will be subject to unannounced inspections, spot checks and other monitoring of compliance.

The implementation of these reforms will help to improve the overall quality of Ireland's offering to international students, promote protection for learners and enhance Ireland's reputation, strongly in line with the goals of Ireland's international education strategy.

The ILEP process is an interim measure until the introduction of the International Education Mark (IEM) for the provision of education to international learners, which will provide a full quality framework in the future. The measures necessary to facilitate the introduction of the IEM are being progressed by my Department.

John Lahart (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

198. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the annual spend on research and development in respect of English language education here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23786/16]

John Lahart (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

199. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the annual expenditure with regard to the marketing of English language education here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23787/16]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I propose to take Questions Nos.198 and 199 together.

As part of Ireland's International Education Strategy 2010 - 2015, Fáilte Ireland has been responsible for the promotion of the English language training (ELT) sector. Fáilte Ireland has promoted the English language sector as part of their overall tourism promotional efforts. Therefore it is not possible to proportion what monies were spent directly on English Language promotion. My Department has provided €70,000 per year to Fáilte Ireland over the course of the 2010 - 2015 strategy to provide for English Language training scholarships for teachers in our core markets.

A group comprising of representatives from Fáilte Ireland, Enterprise Ireland, Tourism Ireland, industry groups and my Department is currently involved in developing a shared growth strategy to maximise the economic growth of the ELT sector. This group aims to create an overarching vision and five-year strategy for the ELT sector.

Research was conducted as part of developing the ELT strategy and pointed to a need for a clear and coordinated approach by all stakeholders in the ELT sector, with clear connectivity to the Higher Education sector, in order to be able to market Ireland as a destination for international students. It was identified that there is an opportunity to view the ELT product as part of the broader international education package that Ireland has to offer.

To address these issues, as part of the Government's new International Education Strategy (2016-2020), which is due to be published by my Department shortly, we will work towards ensuring that Ireland's education offerings, including the ELT sector, are promoted in a more cohesive way.