Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 21 October 2025
411. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Education and Youth the means by which her Department is addressing the situation whereby teachers registered under route 3 are currently prevented from commencing the Droichead process, despite being actively employed in Irish schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57083/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe 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 to the Regulations.
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 Department has no role in the registration of individual teachers.
The Teaching Council is the regulator of the teaching profession in Ireland. Its role is to protect the public by promoting and regulating professional standards in teaching. It carries this 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 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).
In accordance with Department Circular 44/2019 and Circular 31/2011, which are available on the Department’s website under gov.ie - Department of Education, schools are required to employ appropriately qualified teachers (as demonstrated by registration under the appropriate route) and ensure that unemployed teachers should be offered employment in preference to those who have retired. These measures were taken in an effort to increase employment opportunities for unemployed teachers.
Chapter 2 of Circular 44/2019 deals with the recruitment of teachers in Primary & Special Schools.
As per circular 31/2011 Post Primary:
6. Employment of unregistered persons in exceptional circumstances to cover short-term absences
6.1 Following the taking of all reasonable steps under paragraph 4, a school may employ an unregistered person where, due to urgent and unforeseen circumstances, it is necessary for the immediate filling of a teaching post in order to prevent school closure, safeguard the welfare of students or is necessary to maintain provision in the school.
6.2 An unregistered person may be employed only where the principal records in writing that–
(i) following the taking of all reasonable efforts under paragraph 4, the school is not in a position to employ a registered teacher and the reasons for this, and
(ii) the person proposed for appointment is competent and capable of acting in a teaching capacity in the school.
6.3 An unregistered person employed in accordance with paragraph 6.1– 6 (a) will be paid at the unqualified rate of pay; (b) may not be paid in respect of more than one week’s continuous employment at any one time; and (c) must have included in his or her contract of employment a condition that the contract will terminate immediately if the employer is in a position to employ a registered teacher.
The Teaching Council registers teachers under Route 3 - Further Education (FE) in line with the Teaching Council Acts and the Teaching Council (Registration) Regulations 2016. 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 Department applies the routes to determine the sector to which each route of registration should apply. Details can be found in the relevant Department circulars mentioned previously.
Droichead, the Teaching Council’s integrated professional induction framework for newly qualified teachers is open to teachers registered under Route 1, Route 2 or Route 4 with the Teaching Council. It is important to note that the teacher must be qualified and registered under the appropriate route of registration for the sector that they are employed in, and to which Droichead applies, that is, primary and post-primary.
