Grace Boland (Dublin Fingal West, Fine Gael)
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414. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will assess the impact of Teaching Council registration delays and route transfer barriers on the availability of qualified teachers in Dublin schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57086/25]

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, 2025. 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 to the Regulations.

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.

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.

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 applied equally to all applicants.

As outlined on the Teaching Council website information for applicants, the registration process for applicants who have qualified in the Republic of Ireland (ROI) may take up to 6 weeks from receipt of all application documentation, including vetting documentation, and depending on the time of year.

Applications from individuals who have qualified outside the ROI are processed within one week of receipt to ensure all required documentation has been submitted. If documentation is outstanding, applicants are emailed with the list of required outstanding documentation. When all the required documentation has been submitted and it is deemed to be a full application, the Teaching Council aims to issue a decision within 12 weeks. This is in line with EU Directive 2005/36/EC. The average time from receipt of a full application from a teacher who qualified outside of ROI to a decision being issued is 6 weeks for post-primary applications and 7 weeks for primary applications.

Applicants are also legally required to be vetted by the National Vetting Bureau, provide overseas police clearance, as required, and complete all required declarations as part of the registration process. Processing timeframes for vetting are available on the Teaching Council website.

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.