The statistical data requested by the Deputy is supplied in the following table. Non-EEA nationals, including students, residing in Ireland for more than three months must register with the Garda National Immigration Bureau. The table is based on a series of snapshots taken in March 2011, 2012 and 2013 of the resident non-EEA student population at that time. The table also indicates the number of those students who had first registered within the preceding 12 months (i.e. new students)
Not all students require visas to travel to Ireland. However the statistics cover all registered non-EEA national students whether they are visa required or not and, as such, provide a more accurate representation of the number of international students who have come to Ireland in the years requested.
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March 2011
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March 2012
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March 2013
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New Student Registrations
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9061
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7375
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12224
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Total Student Registrations
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29911
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28354
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28962
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All of the above students are registered on a "Stamp 2" student permission which allows access to the Irish labour market without the need for an employment permit from the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation. That access is limited to 20 hours per week during academic terms and 40 hours per week during college holidays.
While there may be some potential for displacement it should be noted that the concession whereby students are permitted to work is similar to that in many of our competitor countries and it is seen by providers as a vital element of the "package" offered by Ireland when we seek to attract foreign students. This concession together with the high quality of our education offering has facilitated the growth of a significant international student sector in Ireland which is an important contributor to national economic activity.
Moreover, the international education sector provides significant employment and income for the Irish economy and any analysis of the student work concession must be balanced against this contribution. The Government believes that there is significant potential for Ireland in attracting international students to study at high quality institutions. My colleague, the Minister for Education and Skills, is implementing a comprehensive reform process in the education sector including the establishment of the new Qualifications and Quality Agency and plans to establish a Quality Mark for English language schools and further and higher education colleges as part of efforts to get more international students to study here.
This work is operating in tandem with ongoing reform of the student immigration regime. The value of the work concession is clear in terms of promoting Ireland's quality education sector in a competitive market. However it would be naive to ignore the capacity of the student migration route to be abused by economic migrants and by less scrupulous parties seeking to facilitate their entry to the State. Therefore the concession must be seen as inextricably linked with and dependent on the ongoing work led by the Department of Education and Skills in the area of quality assurance, the commitment of service providers to quality standards and the maintenance of effective immigration controls at all stages of the process.
