Language schools to be regulated

Irish schools offering English tuition to foreign students are to be regulated following a major garda investigation into some of the institutions.

A team of detectives based in Terenure garda station, Dublin, backed by officers from the Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB), have been conducting an investigation into the schools for almost seven months.

Four schools have had their registration to practice withdrawn. One of those institutions is believed to have been a school of dance, students from which were working in Irish lap dancing clubs.

Gardaí have also identified up to 14 other schools which they believe to be "bogus" along with around 150, mostly Chinese, non-nationals whose student status here is also believed to be bogus.

The Criminal Assets Bureau has been involved in the case and had reached a settlement agreement with the owners of one school in respect of monies not declared to Revenue.

One garda source said officers working on the case had already interviewed staff at some of the schools. They were also trying to determine if some of the schools actually existed or if they were shell companies.

The Minister for Education, Mr Dempsey, has ordered the establishment of an interdepartmental group to consider how the sector should be regulated.

The group is to examine how to promote a "quality mark" system for the schools which would specify required educational and support standards. At present, the sector is not heavily regulated.

It is envisaged all education providers in the State seeking to attract foreign students would have to adhere to the standards laid down under the "quality mark" system.

Gardaí say while they suspect corruption at a number of the institutions, charges can only be brought if criminal intent is proven. One senior source said this might prove difficult.

The move by Mr Dempsey follows the arrest in January of a 64-year-old civil servant who was suspected of having worked in conjunction with some of the schools in supplying bogus attendance records.

The man, who was suspended from duty, worked in the visa section at the Department of Justice in Dublin.

It is believed records were being sold by the schools to non-nationals who needed them to satisfy visa requirements laid down by the Department of Justice.

Under the current student visa system, non-nationals are permitted to live in Ireland for the purposes of learning English. They are allowed to work 20 hours per week, but must regularly supply the Department of Justice with attendance records from their schools to prove they have been attending.