Robert Troy
Question:283. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Education and Skills his views on the length of time it is taking the Teaching Council to process applications; and if there is a delay. [49525/18]
View answerTuesday, 27 November 2018
Questions (283)
Written answers
Under the Teaching Council Acts 2001-2015 the Teaching Council is the body with statutory authority and responsibility for the regulation of the teaching profession in Ireland including the registration of teachers in the State.
It is a function of the Council under the Teaching Council Acts (s7(2)) to act as the competent authority for the recognition of qualifications obtained by a person who has applied under this Act for registration as a teacher.
The Department understands that the Teaching Council advice is that for teachers qualified in Ireland the registration process may take up to 6-8 weeks from receipt of all application documentation and depending on the time of year. For teachers qualified outside of Ireland, the assessment and registration process may typically take up to 12 weeks from receipt of all application documentation and depending on the time of year. In both cases the Council recommends that applicants apply in advance of their planned return to or commencement of teaching in Ireland.
Arising from the work of my Department's Steering Group on Teacher Supply, an Action Plan for Teacher Supply was published on 8th November 2018 with actions identified under four policy headings: Data/Research; Higher Education; Promotion of the teaching profession; Policies and arrangements impacting on teacher supply. Included under Policies and Arrangements is an action to develop a more streamlined process for the registration of teachers qualified in jurisdictions outside the State. This will be progressed through the implementation of the Action Plan for Teacher Supply, overseen by the Steering Group.