574. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she is aware of a matter (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [65154/26]

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 register 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 out in the Schedule of the Regulations. My department has no role in the registration of individual teachers.

The Teaching Council is the independent regulator of the teaching profession in Ireland established by the Teaching Council Act 2001 as amended. Its role is to protect the public by promoting and regulating professional standards in teaching. This is carried out through the statutory registration of teachers, ensuring a highly qualified teaching profession whose members meet and uphold high standards of professional competence and conduct.

As a statutory professional standards body, the Teaching Council is required by law to properly determine and to authenticate the relevant standards and qualifications of all applicants for registration.

One of the ways the Council ensures and regulates standards is by ensuring that all teachers entering the profession in the Republic of Ireland (ROI) have met the required standards, comparable with those of domestic qualifications.

Ireland, like the majority of regulating countries assesses qualifications awarded outside the State for alignment with the standards which apply in the State, and this is a core principle of the EU Directive 2005/36/EU on the recognition of professional qualifications.

The qualifications of teachers who qualified outside the State are processed in line with the EU Directive and assessed to ensure they are of a comparable standard to those achieved by graduates of accredited Initial Teacher Education programmes in ROI.

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. Post-primary teachers must also meet the post-primary curricular subject requirements for at least one approved curricular subject.

In the case of those seeking registration as a post-primary teacher, diplomas or certificates in areas that are relevant to the subject being assessed contribute to the overall assessment outcome. As such, applicants who have completed the same teacher education qualification may not necessarily receive the same outcome, as the holistic assessment process considers all relevant qualifications and their professional experience. This is carried out in the interests of supporting applicants to ensure that all demonstrable knowledge, skill and competence is considered.

Applications from teachers with their main teaching qualifications obtained outside the State, including those with diplomas and certificates obtained within the State, are assessed on a holistic basis taking account of all relevant qualifications held by the applicant and their professional experience. On that basis, it is not possible to state whether a qualification will of itself meet the requirements for registration, prior to completing the full assessment.

Each application is assessed on an individual basis in accordance with the Teaching Council's registration regulations and subject curricular requirements. Applicants are advised of the shortfalls identified in their qualifications and are advised on how to address them i.e. via aptitude test or period of adaptation.

The Teaching Council is independent in its assessment and recognition of qualifications for the purposes of registration of individual applicants, and my department has no role in this regard.

The institute that the Deputy is referring to in this query, is a private provider offering various programmes, and the department does not have any role in the courses it delivers.

My department is committed to ensuring that all our teachers, at primary and post-primary level, have the qualifications and skills they need to support all our children and young people. It is critical that our teachers are equipped with the qualifications, knowledge and skills needed to deliver high-quality education.

It is important that overseas qualified teachers working in Irish schools can maintain the high standards and qualifications demonstrated by those with domestic qualifications. The Teaching Council ensures this by applying the important principles provided for in the EU Directive regarding the mutual recognition of professional qualifications.