Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 22 October 2013
176. Deputy John Lyons asked the Minister for Education and Skills if annual audits are carried out on the annual reports completed by the Teaching Council; the conferences and seminars that have been organised by the Teaching Council in the past two years; the number of publications and articles published by the Teaching Council in the past two years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44181/13]
View answerThe Teaching Council's financial statements for each year end (31 December) are audited by Anne Brady McQuillans DFK Chartered Accountants. The auditor is appointed by the Minister for Education and Skills under Section 18 of the Teaching Council Act 2012. Once approved, the financial statements are published on www.teachingcouncil.ie and in the Council's annual report which covers the period 27 March – 28 March. The annual report and accounts are laid in the Houses of the Oireachtas.
The Council's broad role in both regulating and promoting the profession of teaching means that it engages in a wide range of public activities and publication on an ongoing basis. I am informed that, including stakeholder consultation events, in 2012 and 2013 respectively, the Council held 3 and 19 conferences and seminars. Notably, in 2013, the Council hosted a conference on the identity of teacher educators as part of Ireland's EU Presidency and for international teachers' day on 5 October, the Council hosted Féilte, a celebratory showcase of teaching. In 2012 and to date in 2013 the Council has published a number of significant publications such as its Registration Handbook, a Revised Code of Professional Conduct for Teachers and its Annual Report. It has also disseminated a variety of information via its e-zine, twitter feed and video articles on its website. In both years the Council has also submitted numerous articles or interviews for publication in a wide range of external fora such as union, management body and education sector magazines, public sector newsletters, national and local newspapers, and academic conferences.
