1194. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Education and Youth to consider and reply to correspondence outlining concerns regarding Teaching Council registration for Irish teachers returning from abroad (details supplied). [55898/26]

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 under the Teaching Council Act 2001-2015 and in line with the Teaching Council Registration Regulations, 2025. As set out in the Schedule of the Regulations, the Council registers teachers under five routes of registration: Route 1 - Primary, Route 2 - Post-primary, Route 3 - Further Education, Route 4 - Other and Route 5 - Student Teacher. The qualification requirements for each route are set down in the Schedule of the Regulations.

As a statutory body, the Teaching Council is mandated by law to properly determine and to authenticate the relevant standards and qualifications of all applicants for registration, including those who have qualified outside of Ireland. My Department has no role in relation to individual teacher registration.

Fully qualified teachers who have obtained their qualifications outside of the Republic of Ireland (ROI) are eligible to apply for registration with the Teaching Council, which includes the process of assessing their qualifications for the purposes of registration.

All applications are assessed on an individual, case by case basis, in line with EU Directive 2005/36/EU (Mutual Recognition of Professional Qualifications). The assessments are holistic and include the combination of relevant qualifications, teaching experience, and lifelong learning of the individual. The relevant criteria are applied equally to all applicants.

Applicants are also legally required to be vetted by the National Vetting Bureau, provide overseas police clearance as appropriate, and complete all required declarations as part of the registration process. Processing timeframes for vetting are available on the Teaching Council www.teachingcouncil.ie/vetting/

The Teaching Council receives approximately 680 eligible applications annually from teachers who have qualified outside of the ROI. The Teaching Council currently has two dedicated application pathways for teachers who have qualified outside of the Republic of Ireland:

1. Recognition Applications assessed in line with the EU Directive 2005/36/EC

Teachers who have qualified outside of the ROI and who are eligible to teach in the country in which they obtained their qualification can apply for recognition as a teacher with the Teaching Council. A person deemed to be a fully qualified teacher has completed a recognised teacher education qualification and programme of induction. A person must provide an official letter, confirming they are a fully qualified teacher, from the relevant teacher registration body or Competent Authority in the country of qualification.

Where substantial differences between the applicant's qualifications and experience and those that apply in Ireland are identified, the applicant will be given the option of compensating for the substantial difference(s) via an aptitude test or adaptation period. In many instances, applicants put forward multiple qualifications for assessment, and accordingly compensatory measures will reflect that.

In line with EU Directive 2005/36/EC, applicants are advised that the application process may take up to 12 weeks from receipt of all required documentation. The current average processing timeline is 7 weeks for primary applicants and 8 weeks for post-primary applicants. The average processing times for overseas applicants to the register since 2023 are as follows:

2. Recognition Application received under the Timebound Provision

In the Council’s recently revised registration regulations, there is a timebound provision which allows teachers who qualified in another country but have not completed any necessary induction there, to apply to register with the Teaching Council (where they meet certain specified criteria) and to complete induction here in the Republic of Ireland. This provision opened for applications in October 2025 and will remain open until 30 December 2027. To be eligible for registration under this provision, teachers must have completed a teacher education qualification outside of the country that is of an equivalent standard to an Irish teacher education qualification. This means that no qualification shortfalls should be identified between their teacher education qualification and that of the Irish standard, save for the Irish Language Requirements for primary teachers and History and Structure of the Irish Education System for post-primary teachers.

A review of the Qualifications Assessment process was carried out in 2023/2024. Findings from Phase 1 of this review from February to July 2023 showed that the Council has taken a number of very positive steps to make it easier for overseas teachers to register including the redesign of their website with a dedicated 'Qualified outside of Ireland' landing page, enhanced follow up for incomplete applications, removal of the requirement for certain documents and expediated approval mechanisms resulting in continued increased efficiencies in the process. To minimise translation costs applicants are advised to submit summary translations which are certified by accredited translators, embassies, or university lecturers, or self-translated with verification. Module descriptors are required to evaluate programme content, learning outcomes and teaching practice and if documentation is unattainable, the teacher may submit evidence of this, and the Council will work to find alternatives. A Phase 2 final report was completed in May 2024. A summary of the outcomes of this report informed the implementation of a three-stage follow-up with applicants to identify issues earlier in the application process, allowing for quicker support. As a result of the review, processing times were reduced. New key performance indicators (KPIs) were introduced to monitor and improve performance.

The Teaching Council has streamlined registration systems and processes in place to ensure the timely processing of applications for registration for teachers who have qualified outside of the ROI while also ensuring that professional standards are upheld, in line with its statutory remit. The Teaching Council assists the progress of applicants by providing support and guidance throughout the process.

In applying the requirements for overseas qualified applicants, the Teaching Council is applying the provisions of the EU Directive regarding the mutual recognition of professional qualifications, which specifies that the domestic regulator can check and compare the training obtained by foreign professionals with the training required for the same profession in the country of destination. It further provides that the country of destination should ensure that the applicant is prepared and qualified to practise a given profession. Under the directive, the country of destination is mandated to request certain documentary evidence when applying, which can include attestation of professional competence or qualification, proof of professional experience, and proof of good character.

The Teaching Council discharges the requirement to accept applications from eligible overseas applicants for registration in accordance with its legislative underpinning and in line with the provisions of the EU regulatory framework.

My Department also has several measures in place to support teachers who are working abroad, to return to Ireland.

There is a scheme in place which allows for teachers who work in an Oireachtas funded teaching post to apply for incremental credit with respect to previous teaching service which they accrued while teaching outside of Ireland.

The criteria for the award of incremental credit are set out in my Department’s Circulars 10/2001 for primary teachers, 29/2007 and 29/2010 for post-primary teachers. The criteria for the award of incremental credit to recognised teachers was agreed under the auspices of the Teachers Conciliation Council. These circulars provide for the award of incremental credit in respect of overseas teaching service both within and outside the EU.

Following on from the Department’s Action Plan on Teacher Supply, the Irish Primary Principals’ Network (IPPN) operates an online portal for the recruitment of teachers to long-term teaching positions. The portal facilitates the matching of demand and supply and provides an efficient and user-friendly recruitment process for both schools and teachers, including teachers working abroad who wish to apply for posts here.

Turas Abhaile is an initiative of the Association of Community and Comprehensive Schools (ACCS) and the National Association of Principals and Deputy Principals (NAPD), which has assisted teachers based abroad to return to teach in Ireland since September 2019. Turas Abhaile matches teachers with specific vacancies and participating schools to facilitate online interviews to suit the preferences of candidates.