Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 14 May 2024
342. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Education if she will ensure a teacher (details supplied) who has returned to Ireland can get his Teacher Council number without further delay to allow him to be paid for substitute work he is doing; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21786/24]
View answerUnder 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 namely, 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 Schedule of the Regulations.
The Department does not have a role in the registration of individual teachers, however, the Teaching Council has informed me that the person that the Deputy is referring to in this query applied for registration some two weeks ago. The Teaching Council on its website advises that the application process for teacher qualified in Ireland may take up to 6-8 weeks from receipt of all application documentation, and up to 12 weeks from those qualified outside of Ireland (which is in line with EU Directive 2005/36/EC on the mutual recognition of qualifications (as amended)).
It is a requirement under the National Vetting Bureau (Children and Vulnerable Persons) Acts 2012 to 2016 that individuals who work with children and vulnerable persons be vetted by the National Vetting Bureau, which the Teaching Council facilitates for teachers and schools as part of the registration process. The Teaching Council informs me that the Vetting Team has requested outstanding information from this applicant in order to fulfil the requirements of vetting. The Teaching Council awaits this documentation so it can proceed with the processing of the application, as vetting is a legal requirement to teach in recognised schools.
It is important to note that the processing time begins from the receipt of all application documentation, and the individual referred to is advised to engage with the Council to ensure the Council can progress the application.
