Brian Hayes (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 398: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if he will ascertain from the Teaching Council of Ireland if a graduate of a specific degree included on the Council's approved qualifications list is automatically entitled to registration with the council as a teacher of the associated approved subjects, all other requirements being satisfied; if not, if this means that every applicant for registration has to be individually assessed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19449/08]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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A person with a degree on the list of approved qualifications is automatically entitled to be considered for registration with the Teaching Council (all other requirements being satisfied) provided that the subject coverage in his/her undergraduate degree meets the general and specific requirements for at least one curricular subject. These subject specific requirements are available on the website of the Teaching Council. For example, a person with a BSc degree shown on the list of approved qualifications is not automatically registered to teach all science subjects. An applicant must take a curricular subject as a major subject in the degree extending over at least three years and of the order of 30% at a minimum of that period.

All applications for registration are individually assessed to determine that the undergraduate qualification(s) of the applicant satisfy the general and specific requirements for curricular subjects referred to above. In a small number of cases, a person with a qualification included on the list of approved qualifications (e.g. a Bachelor of Arts) will present for registration with insufficient undergraduate academic time spent on any post-primary curricular subject in his or her degree. In these cases, the person cannot be registered. One of the roles of the Council is to maintain and improve standards of teaching, knowledge, skill and competence. The assessment of all applications for registration in the manner referred to above ensures that the Council is fulfilling this role.