Maureen O'Sullivan (Dublin Central, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

48. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his views regarding the way the Teaching Council withdraws payment to teachers for late subscriptions when there can be legitimate reasons for the delay; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28055/16]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Under the Teaching Council Acts 2001-2015 the Teaching Council is the body with statutory authority and responsibility for regulating the teaching profession including registering teachers, and maintaining the state register of teachers. The overall aim is to ensure that we have high quality teaching and a safe school environment for all students.

The Deputy should note that the Teaching Council does not pay or withdraw payment from teachers. Teacher salaries are paid by my Department or by Education and Training Boards (ETBs), as appropriate.

The position is that Section 30 of the Teaching Council Acts 2001-2015 provides that a person who is employed as a teacher in a recognised school, but who is not on the register of teachers, shall not be remunerated in respect of his or her employment out of moneys provided by the Oireachtas, other than in exceptional circumstances where, even though the employing school or ETB has made every effort, a registered teacher cannot be found to take up the position. Statutory Instrument 32/2014 governs such circumstances.

Section 34 of the Teaching Council Acts makes provision for a situation where a registered teacher fails to apply for renewal of his/her registration in accordance with the Acts (section 33).  In that case the Teaching Council is required to inform the teacher and the teacher is retained on the register for a further month. If his or her application is still not received he or she is then removed from the register. The Deputy may wish to note also that, routinely, a number of attempts are made by the Council to contact a teacher, including by post, phone and text where the contact details are available to the Council, before the teacher is removed from the register.