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 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.
It is a function of the Council under the Teaching Council Acts (s7(2)) to act as the competent authority for recognition of qualifications obtained by a person who has applied under this Act for registration as a teacher. A person who has completed teacher education qualifications outside the State and is seeking to register with the Teaching Council must have their qualifications assessed to determine that they are comparable and equivalent to accredited qualifications in Ireland. The process and requirements are outlined on the Teaching Council website with information on timeframes involved.
Fully qualified teachers who have qualified outside of the Republic of Ireland are eligible to apply for registration with the Teaching Council. A person deemed to be a fully qualified teacher has completed a recognised teacher education qualification and programme of induction in the country in which they qualified and can provide an official letter from the relevant teacher registration body/Competent Authority or Ministry of Education confirming recognition as a fully qualified teacher in the State/country. All applications from teachers who qualified abroad are processed in line with the EU Directive 2005/36/EC and are assessed in the same manner, regardless of whether they qualified within or outside the EU. All applications are individually assessed to determine comparability with registration requirements in Ireland and where significant differences are identified through the assessment process, qualification shortfalls are identified and attached as conditions to their registration.
The qualifications of the teacher referred to have been assessed by the Council and deemed to be comparable to the primary teaching registration requirements in Ireland. The letter of recognition provided from the Austrian competent authority confirming that the teacher is recognised as a primary teacher in her home country has also been noted. Thus, registration under the Primary route has been granted with conditions. Registration with conditions has also been granted under the Further Education route. Teachers normally are given a period of three years to meet the conditions of registration. Requests for an extension of time are considered. An extension request has been received from the teacher referred to and is currently under consideration.
Maintaining the standards of the teaching profession is a function of the registration process and those standards are applied equally to Irish and overseas applicants, through ensuring comparable qualifications verified by the Council as outlined.
The person referred to by the Deputy should continue to liaise directly with the Teaching Council and follow their guidance regarding their registration.
