Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent)
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165. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills her views on correspondence (details supplied) regarding a special class teacher; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40777/14]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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My Department's position is that only qualified and registered teachers should be employed by schools. This is set out most recently to schools in Circular Letter 31/2011. Current recruitment procedures direct schools to ensure that teachers proposed for appointment to publicly paid posts must be registered with the Teaching Council and have qualifications appropriate to the sector and suitable to the post for which they are proposed.

In Paragraph 3.5 of Circular 0031/2011 it states "The position remains that special schools must recruit teachers registered under Regulation 2 or 3 of the Teaching Council [Registration] Regulations 2009 except in the case of special schools that cater for pupils of post-primary age where it is sanctioned by this Department as being appropriate to appoint teachers with other qualifications".

In accordance with the above normally teachers registered under Regulation 4 (post primary) are appointed to posts catering for pupils of post-primary age.