Social affairs ministry inspectors fined 75 firms last year for not sticking to the rules for employing foreign students from non-EU countries.

The companies were fined a total of €900,000. Most of the fines were for not having proper work permits or for allowing students to work more than the maximum number of hours.

In one third of cases, the foreign student came from China. Most of the companies involved were either in the hospitality industry or were a staffing agency.

Foreign students from outside the European Economic Area are not allowed to work more than 10 hours a week apart from in the summer months.