The minister for further and higher education, research, innovation and science of Ireland, James Lawless, told delegates at the inaugural PIE Live Ireland that the international education sector was “very important to Ireland”.

In a video address played at the conference, he pointed out that welcoming international students brought not only a “significant economic contribution” to Ireland, but also meant that “we benefit socially, culturally, and of course academically from their presence in Irish life”.

In return for their economic and academic contribution, said Lawless, Ireland is committed to making sure that international students are welcomed into Irish communities.

“For international students, our aspiration is simple: that each one experiences a genuine Irish welcome, “a Céad Míle Fáilte” – a hundred thousand welcomes – rooted in dignity and respect,” he said. “We understand that their time here represents a major investment not just personally, but for their families too.”

And he added that students could also expect “a world-class education experience supported by access to academic excellence and structures that nurture both the personal and professional development”.

Recognising the substantial investment that international students make when they choose to study abroad, Lawless said that “protecting that investment” was a key part of of Global Citizens 2030 – Ireland’s internationalisation roadmap.

Meanwhile, he highlighted the TrustEd Ireland quality mark – a new quality assurance framework for Ireland’s English language schools.

For international students, our aspiration is simple: that each one experiences a genuine Irish welcome, “a Céad Míle Fáilte” rooted in dignity and respect
_{^{James Lawless, Irish HE minister}}

As the largest English-speaking market in the EU, Ireland’s ELT sector is moving from strength to strength, having long been a popular destination for students from Latin America. Lawless said that the TrustEd scheme would help “to promote confidence in the Irish education system both nationally and internationally”.

As with many popular study destinations, Ireland has been struggling to keep up with rising demand for student accommodations – leading to skyrocketing rents and long commutes for many students.

In his video address, Lawless acknowledged accommodation as “another key factor”, which had led to the Irish government setting out a new plan in 2022 to support the development of new student housing for public universities, committing millions of Euros towards developing housing for thousands of students in Ireland.

“Our goal is to ensure that cost and availaiblity of accommodation do not become barriers to accessing third-level education,” he said.