Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 21 May 2026
262. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of registered teachers currently employed in schools under conditional or temporary registration arrangements pending completion of the route 3 recognition processes, by school year, in tabular form. [39360/26]
View answerUnder 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, www.teachingcouncil.ie/assets/uploads/2025/10/SI.2025.0482_TC_Registration_Regulations.pdf
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.
The Teaching Council registers teachers under Route 3 - Further Education (FE) in line with the Teaching Council Acts and the Teaching Council Registration Regulations, 2025. Registration under Route 3 requires a teacher-education qualification suitable for the purposes of teaching in FE settings and can be completed as part of an undergraduate degree or in addition to an undergraduate degree accredited in accordance with the Further Education: General and Programme Requirements for the Accreditation of Teacher Education Qualifications.
The Teaching Council has informed me that there are currently 18,830 registered under Route 3 currently, with 8,209 of that number registered with the condition of completing the Teacher Education Qualification. Conditional registration is provided by the Council to provide up to three years for teachers to make up any shortfalls identified in their qualifications, and teachers registered with conditions can be employed and paid the qualified rate of pay for their route of registration if they are employed in the appropriate sector, subject to Department circulars.
The recruitment and appointment of teachers to fill teaching posts is a matter for the individual school authority, subject to procedures agreed under Section 24(3) of the Education Act 1998 (as amended by the Education (Amendment) Act 2012).
The Department applies the routes of registration to determine the sector to which each route of registration should apply and attract the qualified rates of pay. Details can be found in the relevant Department Terms and Conditions circulars, including the limited circumstances in which schools can employ teachers who are not registered for that sector. Route 3 of registration applies for the Further Education sector including PLC rather than for schools, and where Route 3 registered teachers are employed in schools it is in the limited circumstances outlined in relevant Department Terms and Conditions circulars.
The Department does not track data on conditional registration held by the Teaching Council, as it is the route of registration and the evidence of registration provided by the Teaching Council to the Department in accordance with the Teaching Council Act to operate the teacher payroll system. As such, the information requested by the Deputy cannot be provided at this time.
