Changes in educational policy concerning the teaching of English as a foreign language (EFL) in Ireland, and events surrounding those changes, are chronicled. The evolution of public agencies and private organizations, including teacher associations, and their roles in effecting change are described. Pressures leading to the formal announcement in January 1991 of an official policy on expansion of EFL instruction are examined, and a followup government policy statement in June 1992 is outlined. It is noted that government and language teaching industry interests in EFL expansion coincided to a great extent during this process, and a December 1993 government effort to reorganize its Advisory Council on English Language Schools (ACELS) attempted to draw two major non-government groups into policy formation. Conflicts over this proposal, particularly those involving participation of a private association of English-language schools, are explained, and the method in which the issues were resolved is described. The full text of the resulting statement of policy concerning academic regulation of EFL instruction is appended. Contains 11 references. (MSE)