51. Deputy Paul Nicholas Gogarty asked the Minister for Education and Youth if her attention has been drawn to the difficulties being experienced by graduates and students of the graduate diploma in physical education at Portobello Institute whose qualifications have reportedly not been accepted by the Teaching Council for the purposes of registration as teachers of physical education; when the Teaching Council first became aware of concerns regarding the programme's suitability for meeting registration requirements; and the engagement that has taken place between the Teaching Council and Portobello Institute on this matter. [74543/26]

53. Deputy Paul Nicholas Gogarty asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether an organisation (details supplied) had at any stage recognised, approved, or otherwise indicated that the Graduate Diploma in Physical Education delivered by an organisation met the curricular subject requirements for registration as a post-primary teacher of physical education; and whether her attention has been drawn to reports that students enrolled in and paid significant fees for the programme on the basis of assurances that it would satisfy requirements. [74544/26]

I propose to take Questions Nos. 51 and 53 together.

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. Per the legislation, my department has no role in the registration of individual teachers.

As the independent regulator of the teaching profession in Ireland, the Teaching Council’s 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.

The qualification requirements for Route 2 (post-primary) can be summarised as follows:

1. Completion of an undergraduate degree in teacher education, accredited by the Teaching Council which satisfies the requirements for at least one curricular subject:

2. Completion of a post-primary programme of teacher education (ITE) accredited by the Teaching Council and a level 8 undergraduate degree which meets the requirements for at least one post-primary curricular subject.

The Teaching Council accredits programmes of initial teacher education (ITE) only. The Teaching Council does not accredit non-ITE programmes such as the Graduate Diploma in Physical Education being delivered by Portobello Institute. A list of the accredited programmes of initial teacher education can be found on the Council’s website.

Individuals who wish to complete a Professional Master of Education (PME) must demonstrate to the teacher education provider that they satisfy the subject requirements established by the Teaching Council for registration in at least one post-primary curricular subject before entry on to the PME programme. The curricular subject requirements are available on the Teaching Council website and are also included as an Appendix. It is a matter for the provider to decide whether to accept an applicant on to their programme.

Students completing a PME for post-primary teaching are invited to apply to the Teaching Council in year one of the PME programme to verify their qualification(s). This process verifies that the student meets the post-primary curricular subject requirements for at least one subject and eligibility to register after graduation from the PME. Each application is reviewed on a case-by-case basis. If a student does not meet the requirements for a curricular subject, the specific shortfalls are identified, and they are advised that further study will be required to meet the necessary standards. Students are also advised to check with the Teaching Council prior to commencing studies to confirm that their proposed further study will satisfy any shortfalls identified.

The majority of applicants who have applied to the Teaching Council having completed the Graduate Diploma in Physical Education qualification with Portobello Institute delivered between 2022 and 2025 have not been successful in satisfying the Teaching Council's curricular subject requirements for Physical Education.

Where these applicants queried next steps, the Teaching Council identified modules from programmes in Physical Education which would address the shortfalls identified.

Also, whilst the Teaching Council has no role in the accreditation of programmes offered by Portobello Institute, the Council did liaise with Portobello Institute and Liverpool John Moores University (as the awarding body at that time), to advise that the programme does not meet the curricular subject requirements for registration for the subject of Physical Education. The Teaching Council also advised that completion of the programmes which Portobello are delivering does not guarantee access to a Professional Master of Education, which is a matter for the provider of that programme, nor does it guarantee access to registration, which is a matter for the Teaching Council. In addition, the Teaching Council requested that Portobello Institute ensure that any communication to students, potential students, or the public, does not create an expectation of access onto a PME or of registration.

In the Teaching Council’s liaison with Portobello Institute and Liverpool John Moores University, Portobello Institute indicated that it was planning to design additional modules for these graduates to complete in order to address the shortfalls identified by the Teaching Council. In this regard, the Council explained in some detail the issues identified with this programme and what would be required in order for graduates to address the shortfalls. Some applicants have now completed additional modules provided by Portobello Institute (now awarded by the University of Essex). The Teaching Council considers each application on an individual basis. For the applicants assessed to date, the completion of these additional modules has not resulted in the registration requirements being achieved. The Teaching Council will liaise with each applicant who contacts them and will confirm whether any further proposed studies will satisfy any shortfalls identified.

The Teaching Council has also consulted with Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI) on this matter.

The Teaching Council has made every effort to best support students in this regard, including engaging directly with the institutions involved.