Cian O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay North, Social Democrats)
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93. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will look at a case (details supplied) whereby a teacher cannot register for route 1 primary teaching due to a delay in receiving their QTS, despite having worked at primary level since January 2023; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25764/24]

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 Act and there are five routes of registration.

It should be noted that the Department does not have a role in the registration of individual teachers as under statute this is a matter for the Teaching Council. The Teaching Council has confirmed that the individual referred to by the Deputy submitted an application and accompanying documentation on 1 February 2024 under the Teaching Council Registration Amendment Regulations 2023, which provided for overseas qualified teachers to undertake the required period of induction in Ireland as a temporary teacher supply measure. However, the Council cannot progress the application as evidence of the completion of a Primary Initial Teacher Education Qualification and evidence of Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) have not been submitted. The institution referred to by the Deputy was not referenced by the candidate in the application.

The applicant has been informed that the Teaching Council cannot progress the application and the applicant has further been advised the statutory provision made under which the application was submitted has now closed (the amendment end-dated the measure at end of February 2024). As the required information was not provided to progress the application in advance of the statutory end date for that pathway to application, all applications for registration under Route 1 are now made via the standard pathway.

The requirement to provide all of the requisite documentation is applied equally and transparently to all applicants for registration, with full advice provided on the Teaching Council website regarding the requirements. The applicant is advised to continue to engage with the Council as the independent statutory regulator best placed to provide any relevant further information.