Ruairi Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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855. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the standard processing time for route 1 to 4 registration applications with the Teaching Council; if she is satisfied with the timeframe; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2468/22]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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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. 

The Teaching Council registers teachers in line with the requirements set out in the Teaching Council Act 2001-2015 and the Teaching Council (Registration) Regulations 2016.

There are currently 112,000 teachers registered with the Council under four routes of registration; Primary, Post-Primary, Further Education and Route 4 Other.

- 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 and taking into account peak 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. This is clearly set out in the guidance notes for applicants for registration. Annually approximately 1,300 standard applications for registration are processed.  

- Each summer the Teaching Council offers a fast-track newly qualified teacher (NQT) registration process for those that graduate from accredited teacher education programmes. This process generally ensures that all NQTs are registered appropriately within 2-4 weeks of receipt of their official results from the Higher Education Institutions.  The Council registers between 3,200- 3,600 teachers via this process annually.

- 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. This timeframe correlates with registration processes offered by other professional regulatory bodies both nationally and internationally. Approximately 600 teachers are registered via the qualifications assessment process annually.  

It should be noted 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.