Written answers

Tuesday, 1 December 2020

Department of Education and Skills

Brexit Issues

Photo of Aodhán Ó RíordáinAodhán Ó Ríordáin (Dublin Bay North, Labour)
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85. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the effect Brexit will have on the terms of registration for teachers who are trained and are fully qualified to teach in the UK returning to Ireland and registering with the Teaching Council; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40063/20]

Photo of Norma FoleyNorma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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Under the Teaching Council Acts 2001-2015 the Teaching Council is the body with the statutory authority and responsibility for the regulation of the teaching profession in Ireland including the registration of teachers in the State.

The Teaching Council advise me that they are actively engaging with colleagues in the General Teaching Council for Scotland, General Teaching Council for Northern Ireland, the Teaching Regulation Agency in the UK, Education Workforce Council in Wales, in relation to Brexit. There are a number of issues arising out of Brexit outlined herewith, on which work is ongoing.

Initial Registration and Qualification Assessment Process

The Teaching Council affords the same rights to EU and Rest of the World (ROW) applicants as set out in the Teaching Council (Registration) Regulations 2016. This means that teachers holding UK qualifications will continue to be assessed in the same manner under the ROW/third country as they were when they were applying under the EU Directive.

Initial Registration and Fit and Proper Person Assessment

Currently individuals who wish to register as a teacher with the Council are required to submit a character reference, complete the vetting process and supply overseas police clearances in certain instances. The police clearances are required for every country where an applicant has lived outside the State for an accumulative period of 36 months or more, since the age of 18. In addition the Council are engaging with the other teacher regulatory bodies with a view to introducing a new requirement to supply a Letter of Professional Standing for all applicants from outside the EU. In this way the fit and proper persons assessment would expand to include information included in the letter. Furthermore in order to support the sharing of information under the Teaching Council Acts following a Fitness to Teach inquiry (see below) additional questions have been introduced into the Registration Application Form.

Renewal of Registration and Declarations

A review of the current Teaching Council (Registration) Regulations is currently underway and additional provisions has been made to allow for the future enhancement of the annual declarations to include statements relating to ongoing/concluded inquiries or investigations being undertaken outside the State. This may be relevant where a teacher holds Registration with the Teaching Council but is employed as a teacher outside the State.

Registered Teachers and Fitness to Teach

The Council are engaging with their counterparts in the UK regarding the sharing of information following an inquiry that would have resulted in an alert on the EU wide IMI system. Post-January a number of data sharing agreements will come into effect to support the ongoing sharing of data as permitted by the legislation of each jurisdiction.

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