With the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 18 and 19 together.
I have seen the statements and am aware of the concern of students in regard to certain travel organisations. Student travel organisations who operate student air charters require my approval. Before such approval is forthcoming the organisation is required to be adequately sponsored by educational establishments and by student associations. Two organisations, who successfully organised student travel over the past few years, have so far produced adequate sponsorship viz. the Union of Students of Ireland Travel (USIT) and Irish Student Educational and Travel Association (ISETA). The former was approved some months ago, the latter has now been approved after it had produced evidence of the necessary sponsorship. An application from a third organisation named Irish Student Exchange Club (ISEC) which only recently appeared on the Irish scene has been investigated and I am not prepared to approve the operation of student charter flights by this organisation.
The question of visas which would enable Irish students to visit the United States for summer travel and employment opportunities is one for settlement as between the students travel organisations and the officially designated sponsors for exchange visitor programmes and the US authorities. I understand that while USIT has made arrangements with the designated organisation in the USA to sponsor its students for visa purposes, the ISETA is still negotiating for sponsorship at the present time.