Brendan Griffin (Kerry, Fine Gael)
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169. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the reason it takes a minimum of 12 weeks and in some cases even longer for a teacher to register with the Teaching Council in view of the fact its counterpart in Scotland only takes ten days; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38585/19]

Joe McHugh (Donegal, Fine Gael)
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Under the Teaching Council Acts 2001-2015 the Teaching Council is the body with statutory authority and responsibility for the regulation of the teaching profession in Ireland including the registration of teachers in the State.

It is a function of the Council under the Teaching Council Acts (s7(2)) to act as the competent authority for the recognition of qualifications obtained by a person who has applied under this Act for registration as a teacher.

Teachers whose applications meet all the necessary requirements are registered under Section 31 of the Teaching Council Act and the Teaching Council (Registration) Regulations 2016.

For teachers who qualified within Ireland, the registration process may take up to 6-8 weeks from receipt of complete application and depending on the time of year (taking into account peak summer processing periods). If all requirements are met, including garda vetting, and fit and proper person requirements, the registration process may be completed in less than the 6-8 week timeframe outlined.

The Teaching Council contacts students in the final year of programmes of initial teacher education in higher education institutions to offer them a fast track registration process upon receipt of their final results.

Where a person has obtained their teaching qualifications in another Member State of the EU, Directive 2005/36/EC, as amended, applies. This Directive governs the recognition of professional qualifications across Member States. Where a person has obtained their teaching qualifications and is eligible to practice the profession in another Member State, they may apply to the Teaching Council to seek recognition of their qualifications in accordance with the provisions of the Directive. Assessment of qualifications to determine that they are comparable to accredited qualifications in Ireland may take approximately twelve weeks from the date of receipt of all requested documentation, in accordance with the EU Directive timelines. Applicants must also meet standard registration requirements in relation to character reference, garda vetting and overseas police clearances.

The Teaching Council has advised me that where a complete application is submitted and fit and proper person requirements including garda vetting/police clearance are met registration is often completed faster than the standard registration timelines set out above.