An educational quality mark to be in place by the end of the year should ensure below-standard colleges for international students can no longer stay in business, the Dáil has been told.

Student representatives say Government plans to enforce standards in English language schools will not be enough to ease the plight of hundreds of overseas students affected by recent college closures.

Some English language schools have abused their status to act as fronts for people seeking work in Ireland, Education Minister Ruairi Quinn has warned.

Hundreds of foreign students facing massive debts after an English-language college in Dublin closed without warning have been hit with a second scandal — the college never registered them as immigrants.