Grace Boland (Dublin Fingal West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

413. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the impact the current barriers to registration and induction are having on teacher supply, particularly in areas experiencing acute shortages such as north County Dublin; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57085/25]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The Teaching Council registers teachers under the Teaching Council Act 2001-2015 and in line with the . 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 qualification requirements for each route are set down in the Schedule.

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 Department has no role in the registration of individual teachers.

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

As a statutory body, the Teaching Council is required by law to properly determine and to authenticate the relevant standards and qualifications of all applicants for registration, including those who have qualified outside of Ireland.

All applications from teachers who qualified outside of the Republic of Ireland are processed in line with the EU Directive 2005/36/EU and are assessed under its general system in the same manner, regardless of whether the applicant qualified within or outside of the EU. Further details on this process can be found on the Teaching Council website.

To assist with teacher supply challenges, in the Teaching Council’s recently revised Registration Regulations, 2025, which were effected on 16 October 2025, a Timebound Provision has been created which provides for teachers who completed a teacher education qualification in another country, but have not completed the necessary induction there, to apply for registration to the Teaching Council and to complete Droichead (induction) here in the Republic of Ireland. Specific eligibility and qualification requirement apply to this timebound provision. This timebound provision is open to receipt of applications until 30 December 2027. Anyone wishing to avail of this must complete their programme of study and submit a complete application before this date. They must also meet the specific eligibility and qualification requirements. Further information in relation to the timebound provision including the eligibility criteria can be locatedwww.teachingcouncil.ie/qualified-outside-of-ireland-induction-not-complete/#eligibility-requirements

Applications for the Timebound Provision will be accepted from 9am on Wednesday, 22 October 2025.

All applications are assessed on an individual, case by case basis. The assessments are holistic and include the individual combination of relevant qualifications, teaching experience, and lifelong learning. The relevant criteria are equally applied to all applicants.

In relation to Teacher Supply, as of March 2025 there were 8,165.8 allocated teaching posts at post primary level in Dublin county, and 7,976.3 Full Time Equivalents (FTEs). There was some 97.7% cover in Dublin county.

At primary level, there were 10,051.5 allocated teaching posts and 9,539.4 FTE’s in Dublin county, equating to some 94.9% cover.

There is a record number of registered teachers; the Teaching Council reported 94,928 teachers registered in the 2016/17 school year increasing to 122,743 teachers registered in 2023/24. Currently, the Teacher Council have reported that there are 127, 077 teachers on the register.