Ireland’s international education sector has a clear selling point, with demand remaining strong. But panellists at The PIE Live Ireland said the challenge is ensuring students can get through the door.
“Ireland’s overall numbers are still strong. So it’s not an issue of demand, it’s an issue of access,” said Lorcan O’Connor Lloyd, CEO of English Education Ireland.
That access is increasingly shaped by visa processing, refusal decisions and uncertainty over future policy. For a country that has built its international student appeal on openness and stability, the panel warned, inconsistency could quickly become a competitive disadvantage.
“Our message to government is: of course, you have to operate a fair and vast immigration system, but don’t let bureaucracy get in the way of talent. Please continue to make sure that international students are able to compete in a timely way,” said Paul Johnston, director general of the Irish Universities Association (IUA), describing international education as vital not only to universities but to Ireland’s wider economy and global connections.
Don’t let bureaucracy get in the way of talent. Please continue to make sure that international students are able to compete in a timely way
Paul Johnston, Irish Universities Association
The concern is that delays or unclear requirements could deter students before they arrive. Johnston said the sector had sought explanations after a rise in visa refusals for applicants from Gaza, noting that four students challenged refusals in court, with three challenges successful.
For Johnston, the broader stakes go beyond recruitment, as Ireland will need international talent to meet future workforce needs. The country’s universities want to keep channels open for the “investors and the designers and innovators of tomorrow”.
The issue is not, panellists stressed, whether Ireland should operate an immigration system with proper checks. It is whether the process is predictable, timely and clear to applicants.
Declan Coogan, associate director of student recruitment at Trinity College Dublin, said visa uncertainty complicates institutions’ long-term planning. “We are assuming that what we’re seeing in other countries is probably coming here in some form,” he said, describing how recruiters are building resilience while trying not to miss emerging markets.
Coogan said Ireland’s reputation for stability has helped attract students and partners, but that advantage is not guaranteed. “If we don’t … get some kind of consistency and alignment about our visa policy,” he warned, Ireland could miss opportunities in a changing global market.
Trinity has been broadening its recruitment base, with a 53% increase in American postgraduate students over the past two years, said Coogan. The university has also seen traction in Europe, while identifying potential for deeper engagement with regions including Africa and Latin America.
For English language education, visa access is already reflected in recruitment patterns. O’Connor Lloyd said visa-free markets – including Brazil, Chile, Argentina, Mexico, Japan and South Korea – are important to the sector. Ireland has remained comparatively resilient as the global English language teaching market has contracted, aided by a shift towards young learners and EU students.
“It’s not an issue of demand; it’s an issue of access,” he said.
Mary Grennan, head of international education at Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI), said that unanticipated immigration-policy changes could create significant difficulties for providers and representative bodies trying to plan. Alongside predictable access, she pointed to the role of quality assurance in maintaining confidence in Ireland’s offer.
The TrustEd Ireland scheme is being implemented across higher education and English language education providers. It sets standards around learners’ experience and protections and, for English-language providers, includes due diligence and ongoing monitoring.
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