John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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Question 226: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the reason a person (details supplied) in County Kilkenny was refused registration as a secondary school teacher on 8 February 2006 in view of the fact that their registration was accepted by her Department on 5 December 1996; if she will investigate the case and expedite a response based on the 1996 decision and the fact that they have been teaching full-time since then; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22066/06]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The person concerned first applied for registration as a secondary teacher in January 2006. Her application for admission to the Register of Secondary School Teachers was refused on the basis that her primary degree was not one deemed suitable by the Registration Council for the purpose of teaching at second level.

A suitable degree is a degree or equivalent award from a nationally-recognised degree awarding authority, the course for which was of at least 3 years' duration and the final examination for which included at least one subject from the post-primary schools curriculum. The person's degree is a B.A. in Psychology, the final examination for which did not include any subject suited to the post-primary curriculum.

The statement dated 5 December 1996 was, when viewed in the context of the January 2006 application for registration, deemed to have been issued in error. This is based on the fact that no formal application to the Registration Council for assessment of this qualification, for which a fee was payable, was received from this person prior to the issue of this statement or subsequently.

The Registration Council was, at the time of the application for registration in January 2006, the designated authority for the recognition of qualifications for the purpose of teaching in secondary schools. The Teaching Council has, since its establishment on 28 March 2006, taken over the role of designated authority for the recognition and registration of all teachers. The Teaching Council is based in Block A, Maynooth Business Campus, Maynooth, Co. Kildare (Tel: 01-6517900).

The person has been advised that, if she has status as a recognised teacher in another member State of the European Economic Area (EEA), she may be entitled to recognition in this State under the terms of Directive EC89/48 which deals with the mutual recognition of professional qualifications within EEA countries. To pursue this route, she must make formal application to the Teaching Council for the assessment of her qualifications and address any shortfalls identified as required of her by the Council.