Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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The Teaching Council is the competent authority for the recognition of qualifications for those who qualified as teachers outside of Ireland. The Teaching Council adheres to the Teaching Council Act 2001-2015, the Teaching Council Registration Regulations (2016) and in its role as a competent authority, it operates in accordance with the EU Mutual Recognition of Professional Qualifications Directive (2005/36/EU as amended). As a statutory professional standards body, the Teaching Council is required by law to properly determine and to authenticate the relevant standards and qualifications of all applicants for registration. One of the ways the Council ensures and regulates standards is by ensuring that all teachers entering the profession in Ireland have met the required standards.

Fully qualified teachers are eligible to apply for registration with the Teaching Council under the Teaching Council (Registration) Regulations. The Council registers teachers under five Routes of Registration: Route 1 Primary, Route 2 Post-primary, Route 3 Further Education, Route 4 Other and Route 5 Student Teachers.

Teachers who qualify from outside of Ireland applying for registration under the standard pathway to registration must be fully qualified teachers which includes the completion of any period of post-qualification registration requirements in the country they qualified, e.g., teacher induction in England. All applications from teachers who qualify outside of Ireland are processed in line with EU Directive.

In addition, for a time limited period under the Teaching Council (Registration) (Amendment), 2023, the Teaching Council is accepting applications from primary and post-primary teachers who have not completed induction in the country they qualified.

The person referred to by the Deputy qualified outside of Ireland and applied for registration as a post-primary teacher under the Teaching Council (Registration) Regulation, 2016. The person referred to did not complete an induction period in country where they qualified. They were therefore ineligible to continue the application they made for post-primary registration through the standard registration process.

The person referred to was advised that their application was being transferred to the application process under the Teaching Council (Registration) (Amendment), 2023. This pathway to registration has been introduced for a time limited period for qualified teachers who have not completed induction in the country in which they qualified.

The person referred to is now registered as a post-primary teacher and has been sent confirmation of same.