Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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273. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if there are reforms proposed to ensure that newly trained teachers receive enough teaching hours to ensure that they can complete their H.Dip in view of the fact that this is a requirement of a permanent registration with the Teaching Council; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3322/20]

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 registration of teachers. Section 7 of the Teaching Council Act provides for the Council to establish procedures in relation to the induction of teachers into the teaching profession. Those procedures are now in place through the Droichead Framework. The Droichead Framework, as established by the Teaching Council, sets out the requirement for newly qualified teachers (NQTs), which includes both school-based and additional professional learning activities, to address the needs of NQTs as they begin their careers.

Following a review, the Teaching Council approved a revised Droichead Policy in December 2016. The Council approved the implementation of the Policy in May 2017. Under the revised Policy;

- The Department has committed to providing in-school release time and a range of other supports via the National Induction Programme for Teachers (NIPT) to support schools as they engage in the process.

- There is more flexibility around the way the Droichead model can operate in different schools and the size of the Professional Support Team (PST). In addition there is flexibility where there is the usage of an external PST member to act as a mentor where necessary.

- There is an extended 5 year growth phase whereby Droichead will now be the sole route of induction for all NQTs by 2020/21. The growth phase is in year 4 with all primary schools that have administrative principals and post primary schools with 200+ students in Droichead for the 2019/20 school year.

- In February 2020, there were 928 primary schools and 607 post primary schools offering Droichead.

- In 2020 the approved budget for NIPT is over €1.5m. Secondment costs and substitution costs contribute to a further c€2.6m.

The requirements of this framework, including the teaching time requirements, are a matter for the Teaching Council in line with its statutory remit for the induction of NQTs into the teaching profession and the registration of teachers.