Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI), the national agency responsible for the quality assurance of tertiary education and training, has announced the first group of English language schools to be awarded the TrustEd Ireland quality mark.
They are Bridge Mills Galway Language Centre, Emerald Cultural Institute, International House Dublin, Liffey College, and Patrick’s English Academy.
Those five schools now join the 28 universities, colleges, and institutes of technology that have to date also been awarded the mark.
The announcement of the first language school awards, said Dr Lynn Ramsey, Chief Executive Officer of QQI, “Marks a new era of quality oversight and regulation for the English language education sector in Ireland, with the establishment of formal, statutory engagement with QQI. Under the scheme, QQI has a statutory monitoring responsibility to ensure providers adhere to the agreed code of practice, ultimately ensuring that the rights of learners are protected during their time studying in Ireland.”
An accompanying statement from QQI provides the important background that, “To obtain TrustEd Ireland authorisation, [ELT] providers must undergo a thorough due diligence assessment, which examines areas such as financial and legal structures and business plans to establish the capacity and capability of private education providers to deliver quality assured education programmes.
“Under the scheme, providers must also have quality assurance procedures that are approved by QQI and demonstrate compliance with an associated Code of Practice.” (Note that there are distinct Codes of Practice for English language schools and for higher education providers.)
Replacing the ILEP
The continued expansion of the TrustEd Ireland scheme has additional significance beyond its role as an official quality mark. First, the provisions for the mark are enshrined in Irish legislation. QQI’s powers to assess and monitor providers and to enforce the requirements of the scheme also arise from that legislation.
Second, the TrustEd Ireland mark will shortly become the basis for determining whether or not an Irish institution or school is eligible to recruit non-EU students. In other words, it functions as a licence to operate in the international student market, at least in terms of recruitment of non-EU/EEA students that require a visa to study in Ireland.
The current mechanism for this is the Interim List of Eligible Programmes (ILEP), which is maintained by the Department of Justice’s Immigration Service Delivery. The ILEP, however, will shortly be superseded by the TrustEd Ireland scheme.
First announced in 2024, an initial window for applications for the TrustEd Ireland mark opened from 14 October 2024 to 28 March 2025. A second window was opened from 13 October 2025 to 27 March 2026, the decisions from which are expected by the end of this year.
After that point, the ILEP will be replaced by a new TrustEd Ireland Authorised Providers: List of Eligible Programmes. QQI explains: “The new TrustEd Ireland list will identify those programmes that comply with immigration requirements to enable Immigration Service Delivery (ISD) in the Department of Justice, Home Affairs & Migration to determine applications for study visas and immigration permissions for study purposes.”
“All education providers intending to recruit non-EU/EEA/Swiss students that require study visas or immigration residence permissions for the purpose of study (where such residence exceeds 90 days) must ultimately secure authorisation from QQI to use the TrustEd Ireland mark.”
For additional background, please see: