Language Schools

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 28 April 2015

Tuesday, 28 April 2015

Questions (371)

Dara Calleary

Question:

371. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reason the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service is recommending private language schools that are affiliated to Marketing English in Ireland on its student task force website to non-European students, as opposed to other private language schools, given that the affiliated language schools are no more regulated than the non-affiliated language schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16406/15]

Written answers

Minister for Education and Skills

The Student Taskforce website was established to provide information to non-EEA students affected by the sudden closure of a number of English language schools in 2014. This website was established to provide a central reference point for all affected students and others requiring information on the closures. The website is not a case of promoting one group of language schools over another but was put in place to ensure that students who had been affected by the sudden closure of their school, and who were severely financially affected, did not in so far as possible suffer the same fate again. In this regard the Marketing English in Ireland (MEI) schools offer a long established and verifiable protection for learner schemes which ensures that where a member school closes, the students will be protected. Where other English language providers can offer similar such schemes then those can be considered on a case by case basis.