Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 22 June 2021
386. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Education if she will address a matter regarding a person (details supplied) who has applied to the Teaching Council for recognition; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33389/21]
View answerUnder 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.
The Teaching Council registers teachers in line with the requirements set out in the Teaching Council Act 2001-2015 and the Teaching Council (Registration) Regulations 2016.
Given the importance and impact of teaching which affects the lives of learners, the Teaching Council has a responsibility to safeguard entry to the profession in a way that supports quality teaching and learning. Therefore, the qualifications of teachers who qualified out-of-state are assessed to ensure they are of a comparable standard to those achieved by graduates of accredited programmes in Ireland. To enable such assessments, there is a requirement for all applicants to submit specific documentation. Once all documents have been received by the Teaching Council, the assessment process is carried out within a 12-week timeframe which is in line with the EU Directive 2005/36/EU. This information on timeframes is included on application forms and is also available on the Teaching Council website.
Sometimes applicants submit applications that are incomplete which is the most common cause of delay in processing. Therefore, the Teaching Council advise all applicants that it is really important to check that all required information and documents are included with the form.
The person referred to by the Deputy should be advised to contact the Qualifications Assessment Manager in the Teaching Council and they will liaise directly with the applicant to ensure the progression of the application as swiftly as possible.
