Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Independent)
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534. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if a system is in place to ensure that candidates referred to an education and training board by recruitment companies meet the standard of candidate offered by these companies in their initial tender; if she will outline this system; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40351/14]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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I understand that the Deputy is referring to the use of recruitment agencies by Education and Training Boards (ETBs) to fill teaching positions.

The information requested by the Deputy is not readily available in my Department and would involve an inordinate amount of administrative time to compile.

The recruitment and appointment of teachers to fill teaching posts is a matter for the individual school authority (including ETBs), subject to procedures agreed under Section 24(3) of the Education Act 1998 (as amended by the Education (Amendment) Act 2012).

Under Circular 0031/2011 issued by my Department, each employer shall ensure that each person proposed for appointment to a teaching post for which salary grant is being sought must:

(a) Be registered with the Teaching Council in accordance with Part 3 of the Teaching Council Act 2001

and

(b) Have qualifications appropriate to the sector and suitable to the post for which s/he is to be employed (referred to in this circular as "appropriately qualified").

However, if the Deputy has a particular case in mind and provides me with the particulars, I will ask my officials to take the matter up with the relevant ETB and revert to you in due course.

Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Independent)
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535. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of unfilled teaching posts currently advertised by the education and training boards; and the average length of time between the initial advertising of a post and it being filled. [40352/14]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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The information requested by the Deputy is not readily available in my Department and would involve an inordinate amount of administrative time to compile.