Marketing English in Ireland (English Education Ireland)

Lobbying Organisation Marketing English in Ireland

Date published 21 May, 2026

Relevant Matter Public policy or programme

Public Policy Area Justice and Equality

Period 1 Jan. 2026 to 30 Apr. 2026

Specific Details Work Concession and Non-EU Student Immigration Policy

Intended results That the 20-hour work concession be preserved; that ISD enforce ILEP rules consistently against non-compliant providers; and that DFHERIS and ISD coordinate to accelerate TrustEd rollout so that study visa processing delays are resolved without penalising schools that are already operating to the required standard.

Name of person primarily responsible for lobbying on this activity Lorcan O'Connor Lloyd

Did any Designated Public Official(DPO) or former Designated Public Official(DPO) carry out lobbying activities on your behalf in relation to this return? You must include yourself, and answer Yes, if you are a current DPO or a DPO at any time in the past. (What is a Designated Public Official?) No

Did you manage or direct a grassroots campaign? No

Was this lobbying done on behalf of a client? No

Lobbying activity

The following activities occurred for this specific Subject Matter Area.

Event / Reception (1)

Fianna Fail Breakfast Meeting in Dun Laoghaire on 29th April. Briefing of Fianna Fáil members on the English Language Education sector — the regulatory framework for Stamp 2 students, the sector's economic contribution (€1.46bn annually), EEI's compliance role under ILEP, and EEI's policy position on the work concession, TrustEd implementation and the LPF.

Meeting (1)

Met with Cian O'Callaghan TD at Social Democrat Dail Office, Kildare Street on 5th March. We discussed policy on non-EU international students in Ireland, including the Stamp 2 visa framework, the 20-hour work concession, and ILEP compliance by providers. Furthermore we discussed the urgency around implementation of TrustED Ireland regulatory framework.

Email (1)

Written Communication to Minister for Justice re ILEP Enforcement on 18th February 2026. Comms: Enforcement of International Language Education Providers (ILEP) rules against non-compliant providers. Non-compliant schools undermine sector integrity, distort the policy debate on Stamp 2 immigration, and disadvantage accredited EEI member schools who meet all regulatory requirements.

Email (2-5)

Written Communication to Minister Brophy re Russian Young Learner Visas. The effective cessation of study visa approvals for Russian national young learners seeking to attend English Language Education programmes in Ireland. EEI submitted a briefing note setting out the economic impact of this policy position on member schools operating junior programmes, and the broader implications for Ireland's position as an international study destination for this cohort.

Designated public officials lobbied

The following DPOs were lobbied during this return period on this specific Subject Matter Area. These DPOs were involved in at least one of the Lobbying Activities listed above, but not necessarily all of them. As returns are specific to a Subject Matter Area the above Lobbying Activities may be associated with multiple returns.

Robert Lahiff Special Advisor (Department of Justice)

Colm Brophy Minister of State (Department of Justice)

Jim O'Callaghan Minister (Department of Justice)

Cian O'Callaghan TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Cormac Devlin TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Micheál Martin Taoiseach (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)