Charlie McConalogue (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail)
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484. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of primary teachers probated by her Department's inspectorate in each year from 2010 to 2014, the number of full-time equivalent inspectors engaged in this process; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43585/15]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail)
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485. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of newly qualified teachers who were not considered suitable for probation by the inspectorate in the year in which they were due to be probated from 2010 to 2014; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43586/15]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail)
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486. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the time allocation, in days or part-days, provided in an inspector's workload for the probation of a teacher, from the preliminary visit to completion of the final report; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43587/15]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 484 to 486, inclusive, together.

The Inspectorate of the Department of Education and Skills does not have overall responsibility for the probation of newly qualified teachers. From 1 September 2012, the Teaching Council is the decision-making body with statutory authority to determine criteria and procedures for probation for registration of newly qualified teachers. The Council has outlined a service requirement and a professional competence requirement for the probation process. Currently, the Inspectorate supports the process of probation for registration purposes at the request of the Teaching Council in some primary schools. Inspectors conduct inspection visits to inform the Council about the professional competence requirement of conditionally registered teachers in these schools. These inspection visits are part of the Inspectorate's annual programme of work. Generally, the time allocated to these inspection visits ranges from one half day to one day per teacher in a year.

The numbers of primary teachers who satisfied the professional competence requirement of the probation process by means of inspection visits for each academic year from 2010/11 to 2014/15 and whose details were provided to the Teaching Council are as follows: 1924 teachers in 2010/11; 1961 teachers in 2011/12; 1918 teachers in 2012/13; 1715 teachers in 2013/14 and 1778 teachers in 2014/15.

These teachers will also have had to satisfy the Council regarding service requirements and the Inspectorate is not involved in that process. In addition, since 2013/14, a number of teachers have satisfied the professional competence and service requirements for full registration through the Council's Droichead process. Consequently, the Inspectorate is not aware of the total number of teachers who have satisfactorily completed the probation process for registration with the Teaching Council within the years 2010-2014.

The numbers of primary teachers who were inspected but who did not satisfy the professional competence requirement of the probation process by means of inspection visits for each academic year from 2010/11 to 2014/15 are as follows: 70 teachers in 2010/11; 48 teachers in 2011/12; 62 teachers in 2012/13; 51 teachers in 2013/14; and 54 teachers in 2014/15.

These teachers may have satisfied the professional competence requirement in subsequent years.