Carol Nolan (Laois-Offaly, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank all the witnesses for coming in. I have read the briefing notes and it is good to get the opportunity to ask some questions. First, in terms of the teacher unions, what level of engagement would the Teaching Council have with them? Second, in terms of teachers who qualified abroad and are returning to Ireland, they must register with the Teaching Council if they wish to take up a teaching post here. Are we seeing higher numbers of teachers in this position? I hope this is the case in terms of solving the recruitment and retention crisis. A follow-on question, then, is what is the turnaround time for the registration of teachers who qualified abroad? Are measures put in place to try to speed up the turnaround time for them?