Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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355. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills when a person (details supplied) will receive their Teaching Council number; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5978/25]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The Teaching Council registers teachers under the Teaching Council Act 2001-2015 and in line with the Teaching Council Registration Regulations, 2016. As set out in the Schedule of the 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 Teacher. The minimum registration requirements for each route are set out in the Regulations. The Department does not have any role in the registration of individual teachers.

The Teaching Council is the regulator of the teaching profession in Ireland. Their role is to protect the public by promoting and regulating professional standards in teaching. They do this through the statutory registration of teachers, ensuring a highly qualified teaching profession, whose members meet and uphold high standards of professional competence and conduct.

The Teaching Council have informed me that the person that the Deputy is referring to in this query cannot finalise their application while vetting is outstanding. They further advised they have contacted the applicant regarding this and are awaiting a response.

Completing vetting requirements is a mandatory obligation and is not discretionary for the Council. Vetting can take a number of weeks and may include the requirement to produce overseas police clearance depending on periods of time spent outside of Ireland.