Notice to all Customers of USIT Ireland Ltd, 19-21 Aston Quay, Dublin 2.

This company has ceased to trade with effect from 27th March 2020.

Customers with current bookings:

Check with your airline and with your accommodation provider to see if your tickets and/or accommodation are still valid and have been paid by the travel agent.

i. If your airline says you can travel and if you have established your accommodation has been paid for, you can proceed with your travel plans.

ii. If your airline says you can travel but you have established that your accommodation is not paid for you can
a) proceed with your travel plans, pay for your accommodation yourself and then claim a refund of the original cost of your accommodation from the Commission
b) choose not to travel and claim a refund from the Commission.

iii. If your airline says you cannot travel and your accommodation is not paid, you cannot proceed with your travel plans and you can claim your original costs back from the Commission.

Claim forms can be obtained on www.aviationreg.ie

What if I am currently abroad?

The Commission for Aviation Regulation will be contacting any affected customers as necessary. If you would like to speak to one of their advisors, please call on +353-1-6611700.

Statement from Kinlay Group Ltd. regarding the appointment of joint liquidators to USIT Ireland Ltd. and the English Studio language school

Issued 27 March, 2020.

It is with great regret that the Board of Kinlay Group Ltd., which operates USIT Ireland Ltd. and The English Studio language school in Dublin, has announced that, as a result of the Covid-19 situation and having explored all other possible alternatives, it has had no option but to apply to the court to have a provisional liquidator appointed to these businesses. The Directors and Management are supporting the joint liquidators, Kieran Wallace and Andrew O’Leary of KPMG, in order to get the best outcome for creditors in this situation. A third business owned by Kinlay Group, Teach & Travel Group, which is based in Leeds, which provides online TEFL training, continues to trade normally and is unaffected by this decision.

USIT employs 76 people, across its Head Office in Dublin, and regional offices in Cork, Galway and Limerick. Staff have been informed of this difficult decision today.

The outcome for customers who have booked with USIT is uncertain but management will provide as much support as possible to help customers assess their options.

The English Studio, which employs 31 people in Ireland, closed its doors two weeks ago in compliance with Covid-19 measures for the education sector has also reached a position where it was no longer possible to trade as a result of the Covid-19 impacts, leaving the Kinlay Group no option but to apply to the court for the appointment of the liquidators.

Speaking about today’s announcement, David Andrews, Chairman of Kinlay Group, said “Only a short few weeks ago, both USIT and the English School were trading well and we had exciting plans for the future, but the tsunami of effects related to the Covid-19 pandemic have left us with no business whatsoever and no possibility of overcoming these challenges. We have working tirelessly for the last few weeks to find a solution to save these businesses and in that regard I wish to acknowledge the support of our bankers, Ulster Bank Limited. I and my fellow directors greatly regret having to take this step, but unfortunately, it was the only possible option at this time. We are committed to working closely with the liquidator now in order to get the best possible outcome for employees and customers.”

Elaine Russell, CEO of USIT, said “This is a very difficult day for our talented and passionate teams all of whom work so hard to create great experiences for our customers. The team and I are truly devasted at the impact this closure will have on all our customers who were either looking forward to trips they had booked for later this year with USIT or learning English with us at the English Studio.”

More information will be available for customers at www.usit.ie and on our social media channels over the coming days.

Ends