Mark Ward (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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918. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if a person who is a qualified maths and science teacher and holds a four-year degree from Dublin Institute of Technology, Bolton Street in structural engineering can work as a metalwork and engineering teacher in a secondary school; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20517/22]

Norma 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. It acts in the interests of the public good while upholding and enhancing standards in the teaching profession. 

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. It is a requirement under Section 30 of the Act for teachers to be registered with the Teaching Council in order to receive payment from State funds.

The registration process is underpinned by both EU and Irish legislation in the form of the Professional Qualifications Directive (EU Directive 2005/36/EC, as amended); EU (Recognition of Professional Qualifications) Regulations (SI 8 of 2017); Teaching Council Acts 2001-2015, the National Vetting Bureau (Children and Vulnerable Persons) Act 2012; and Teaching Council (Registration) Regulations 2016. 

In the case of teachers applying for registration as a post-primary teacher, the also apply. 

A person who applies to be entered on the register as a post-primary teacher (Route 2) shall satisfy the Council that he or she has obtained one of the following:

1. A  concurrent degree teacher education which includes the study of one or more of the curricular subject disciplines that is accredited by the Council for the purposes of post-primary teaching

or

2. A post-graduate qualification in teacher education which is accredited by the Council for the purposes of post-primary teaching and  is commenced following the award of an undergraduate degree at Level 8 or higher which satisfies the requirements for at least one curricular subject as outlined in the .  

The Teaching Council registers teachers on the basis of Senior Cycle subjects in the first instance.  An applicant who meets the registration criteria for Engineering will also be deemed to have acquired the competency to teach the Junior Cycle curricular subject of Metalwork.

The recruitment and appointment of teachers to fill teaching posts is a matter for the individual school authority, subject to procedures agreed under Section 24 of the Education Act 1998 (as amended by the Education (Amendment) Act 2012).

In accordance with 1.1 of Department Circular 0031/2011, schools should ensure that people appointed to teach are registered teachers with qualifications appropriate to the sector and suitable to the post for which they are employed.