Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 27 January 2026
772. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the percentage of English language schools which submitted a weekly report on attendance at their school to his Department in each month in 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6538/26]
View answer773. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of those who have had their student visas revoked as a result of information provided to his Department by the language school which they were registered to attend in each month in 2025, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6539/26]
View answer774. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of actions that have been taken against English language schools for failure to submit information on attendance to his Department in each month in 2025, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6540/26]
View answer775. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if he is aware of any incidents where English language schools have provided letters of attendance to students that do not accurately reflect their attendance in exchange for a fee; the action which has been taken in relation to any such incident; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6541/26]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 772, 773, 774 and 775 together.
The Programme for Government contains a commitment to publish a National Migration and Integration Strategy detailing how the Government intends to meet the demands and opportunities facing Ireland’s society and economy over the next decade. My Department is currently working with other colleagues in Government Departments to develop this strategy with the aim to publish it later this year.
As part of this strategic approach, I am reviewing the area of student permissions, including with regard to English Language students. This work is aimed at ensuring that the system remains robust and rules-based, supports high-quality education providers, and continues to offer a positive experience for genuine students coming to Ireland.
English language schools in Ireland operate under the Interim List of Eligible Programmes (ILEP), introduced in 2015, which is a restrictive list of education programmes eligible for international student immigration purposes. The list is used as a reference point for the immigration function of my Department in considering visa and residency applications from non-EEA applicants wishing to study on a full-time basis in Ireland. As the Deputy may be aware, ILEP will be superseded by the new TrustEd education mark over the next year.
Providers must remain in compliance with the relevant criteria to retain a listing on the ILEP. My Department monitors compliance and any education provider may be subject to unannounced inspections, on-line monitoring, or random spot checks to ensure its compliance with ILEP criteria, and this includes the maintenance of records and reports. These may be requested by my Department at any time and failure to do so can result in the removal of a provider from the ILEP.
Inspections are only one piece of a suite of compliance activities. Once a provider is listed on the ILEP, they are required to notify my Department of matters such as, but not limited to, any changes to the ownership of the school, change in locations or additional centres, changes to their academic management or teachers, and student capacity numbers.
All ILEP listed English language schools are required to submit information on a weekly basis. This includes data on enrolments, attendance rates and expulsions; all such information received from providers is stored on my Department's operating system.
I can assure the Deputy that there has been a high level of compliance regarding data provision for immigration compliance purposes. All schools are aware of the consequences of non-compliance, and that failure to adhere with ILEP criteria may result in removal from the list. Statistics are not readily available on the number of providers that have not submitted monthly records.
In the event that a student is not attending a course of study, is expelled, or is not abiding by the conditions of their student permission, my Department will investigate each individual case accordingly.
Furthermore, where students have not complied with the conditions of their Stamp 2 permission, in terms of course attendance and progression, they may be subject to revocation of that residence status.
Statistics are not readily available on the number of students who have had their immigration permission terminated for breaching the conditions of their permission.
