Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 17 June 2025
985. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if his Department plans to address the demand for English-language students; and for an update on the number of English-language students for 2024 and 2025. [32613/25]
View answerMy Department does not collate data on the number of students studying English language courses in Ireland. English Education Ireland (EEI) is the largest association of English language schools in Ireland, representing 63 member schools. According to EEI’s Annual Report on English Language Training in Ireland 2024, 128,761 international students from 125 countries chose to study in an EEI member school in 2024. This represents a growth of 2% on the international student numbers recorded by EEI in 2023. A copy of this Report is available at: https://mei.ie/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/English-Education-in-Ireland-2024-Annual-Report.pdf. Data on the numbers studying English language courses in Ireland in 2025 will be available in 2026.
Positioning Ireland as a first-choice destination for international learners, researchers and innovators is a key pillar of the Government’s policy for international education, as set out in Global Citizens 2030: Ireland’s International Talent and Innovation Strategy to 2030.
TrustEd Ireland is a new education quality mark and is a flagship initiative under pillar two of Global Citizens 2030. Education institutions seeking the TrustEd Ireland mark will be required to demonstrate that they meet new national standards encompassing the overall quality of their programme offerings, their qualifications, and the services and supports that they offer to international learners.
TrustEd Ireland will promote Ireland as a first-choice destination for international learners by ensuring that international learners enrolled with higher education and English language education providers are protected and receive a quality, consistent learning experience, from enrolment through to the completion of their education programme. Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI) has statutory responsibility for administering the TrustEd Ireland scheme.
QQI opened the first application window for providers seeking to obtain the TrustEd Ireland mark in October 2024. The assessments of these applications are currently taking place. It is expected that the first cohort of providers will be authorised to use the mark in late 2025. It is anticipated that the second TrustEd Ireland application window will also open in the latter part of this year.
