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.

The Teaching Council is the professional standards body for the teaching profession, which promotes and regulates professional standards in teaching. The Council registers teachers under the Teaching Council Acts 2001-2015. There are five routes of registration with the Teaching Council which are namely Route 1: Primary, Route 2: Post-primary, Route 3: Further Education, Route 4: Other and Route 5: Student Teacher. The registration requirements for each route is set out in the Teaching Council (Registration) Regulations 2016. My Department has no role in the registration of individual teachers.

In its role as a competent authority, the Teaching Council 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 who qualify from outside Ireland are eligible to apply for registration with the Teaching Council under the Teaching Council (Registration) Regulations.

A fully qualified teacher from outside Ireland must hold Qualified Teacher Status (QTS/license to teach) and full registration (having met any post-qualification registration requirements of that country, e.g., teacher induction). All applications from teachers who qualify outside of Ireland are processed in line with the EU Directive.

All applications from fully qualified teachers who qualify outside Ireland are assessed for comparability with graduates of Teaching Council accredited programmes of initial teacher education.

Following a holistic assessment of teaching qualifications and relevant teaching experience, CPD, etc., any identified qualification shortfall(s) are added as a condition of registration. Teachers have three years from the date of conditional registration to address conditions via an aptitude test or an adaptation period.

In addition, for a time limited period under the Teaching Council (Registration) (Amendment) Regulations 2023, the Teaching Council is accepting applications from teachers who hold a teaching licence and comparable teacher education qualification but have not completed induction in the country they qualified. Under the current legislative provision, applications for registration under the Teaching Council (Registration) (Amendment) Regulations 2023 will close on 1 February 2024.

It is understood that the Teaching Council is giving consideration to whether or not an extension to the arrangements provided under the 2023 Regulations would be appropriate.