ICOS has welcomed the appointment of a minister for HE but noted that the new Program for Government offers a "mixed-bag" – with the absence of an International Education Mark a particular concern.

Visa restrictions in Ireland have been eased for English language students, meaning that they will be able to stay in the country for the remainder of the year provided they meet certain conditions.

As coronavirus continues to dramatically reshape how higher education systems operate, smaller destinations such as Ireland are setting the bar high for their approach to supporting international students at a time when others have been accused of allowing them to "fall through the cracks".

The Irish Council for International Students has released a pre-election manifesto, warning that action must be taken to sustain Ireland’s popularity as a study destination.

The number of international students at Irish third-level institutions has surged over the last three years, with the majority feeling generally positive about their educational experiences, a new survey has found.

The Carlyle Institute in Dublin has become the 13th private college in Ireland to close in the last year, citing “adverse trading conditions” as the cause for the closure.

The Business and Computer Training Institute in Dublin has become Ireland's sixth private college to close its doors. With the exception of the disruption the closure brings to genuine students, sector stakeholders have reacted positively to the closure as a way of weeding out bogus operators.

Ireland’s English language sector has been hit once again by the closure of a further two schools bringing total school closures to five in recent weeks and leaving hundreds of students displaced. Minister for Education Ruairi Quinn has set a joint task force to meet on Friday to answer concerns from student protests held this week.