Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour) | Oireachtas source

It will be from the start of the next school year. I was in a school in County Offaly some days ago and I met a teacher there. He specifically told me that he would benefit from this because he would get his contract of indefinite duration from September, and otherwise he would not have got it. It will be in place from the next school year.

I wish to address some of the other issues. Consultation is ongoing in respect of the framework. As I have said, some 3,000 teachers have engaged with it already. I fully recognise that teachers engage in continuing professional development. The intention is that there would be a variety of ways, formal and non-formal, in which they could engage in CPD, but we are keen to ensure the debate is ongoing with the Teaching Council.

The Teaching Council has teachers on it. It has representation from the teaching profession as well as other people. It is intended to be an organisation that very much supports the teaching profession. That is the way in which it operates. It is in the interests of all teachers that we have legislation that continues to give the public confidence in teachers. We have a very good teaching profession but we are keen to ensure that continues and that is why we are ensuring the Teaching Council has these powers. That is why the profession has the kind of reputation it continues to have.

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