Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein)
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646.To ask the Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Question No. 328 of 9 July 2024, when the Teaching Council will make a decision in relation to the matters referred to; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31476/24]

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 Teaching Council registers teachers under the Teaching Council Act 2001-2015 and in line with the Teaching Council Registration Regulations, 2016. The Council registers teachers under five routes of registration. The minimum registration requirements for each route are set out in the Schedule of the Regulations.

To assist with teacher supply challenges in the context of a demographic need, the Teaching Council has proposed the creation of a timebound provision within the revised Teaching Council (Registration) Regulations, 2016. This timebound provision, once enacted would enable eligible teachers who have qualified outside of the Republic of Ireland (ROI) to apply for registration and complete their induction requirement in the ROI. The implementation of the revised Teaching Council (Registration) Regulations is subject to a staged Proportionality Assessment process in line with the 2018 EU Proportionality Test Directive. Subject to the outcome of the Proportionality Assessment process, the timebound provision is intended to open to applications from the implementation date of the revised Registration Regulations.

At this time, it is anticipated that the timebound provision could open to applications in the first quarter of 2025. Further information relating to the proportionality assessment will be available on the Teaching Council website shortly.