Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats)
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127. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality if there is a secure measure for advanced payments in relation to the operation of English language schools and the difficulties associated with these in the past; the number of schools operating at present; the accreditation system in place to ensure financial protection for students and to ensure quality standards; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11926/17]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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It is important at the outset to explain the roles and responsibilities of my Department with regards to the English Language Training (ELT) sector. The sector, which predominantly operates in the commercial sphere, recruits students from a wide range of international markets with a particular focus on students from within the European Union. Students from the European Economic Area (EEA) are under no obligation to register for an immigration permission while in the State and will have no interaction with the immigration authorities. Similarly, participants in programmes of short duration who are from outside the EEA will not require to register for an immigration permission for their stay in Ireland.

Accordingly, the main group of English language students who will have any significant interaction with the immigration authorities will be adult non-EEA nationals participating in examination focused programmes of twenty five weeks or longer duration. ELT providers seeking to recruit from this particular student group are required to satisfy a number of minimum standards in order to be listed by my Department on the Interim List of Eligible Programmes (ILEP).

Several of the standards imposed by my Department are intended to ensure that measures are put in place by the providers for the financial protection to students under the ILEP. These standards are set out in the Criteria for English Language Programmes publically available and published on the website (www.inis.gov.ie/en/INIS/ELT%20criteria%20for%20ILEP%20Updated%2009%20November%202016%20.pdf/Files/ELT%20criteria%20for%20ILEP%20Updated%2009%20November%202016%20.pdf) of the Irish Immigration and Naturalisation Service.

Specifically, they include important measures to protect students who make payments of fees up front for their courses and also to protect students in the event of an ELT provider goes out of business.

With regards to quality standards, my Department works closely with their colleagues in the Department of Education and skills, who have responsibility for the quality of education delivered. This cooperation includes a joint inspection regime including unannounced visits to the schools. As outlined above my role is limited to those schools on the ILEP and in that regard, I am informed by the Irish Immigration and Naturalisation Service (INIS) of my Department that the programmes of one hundred and twenty five (125) ELT providers are listed on the ILEP at this time.