Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 19 February 2026
315. Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Education and Youth the Teaching Council process following a request by a third level institution for the accreditation of a course leading to a teaching qualification; the length of time such accreditation takes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13538/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe 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.
The Council’s accreditation standards are set out in the document Céim: Standards for Initial Teacher Education. The Procedures for the Professional Accreditation of Programmes of Initial Teacher Education set out the manner in which the Teaching Council exercises its role in reviewing and accrediting programmes of initial teacher education, in accordance with Section 38 of the Teaching Council Act.
When a provider proposes a new programme, they must notify the Teaching Council, which will then advise on the next steps. The decision as to whether a HEI should be encouraged to proceed with more detailed programme planning and the submission of a pro forma will take into account a range of considerations, including supply issues. All programmes of teacher education shall have received academic accreditation before formally applying for professional accreditation with the Teaching Council. New programmes undergo a "General Review," where all aspects are thoroughly reviewed. A preliminary meeting between Teaching Council staff and the HEI allows the HEI to ask questions about completing the pro forma and associated documents.
The HEI submits the completed pro forma and documents to the Teaching Council, which conducts a desk-based review and may request further information or clarifications. Once all documents are received, a Review Panel is appointed by the Teaching Council Director, and the Review Panel is then briefed by the Teaching Council staff. The Review Panel meets and reviews documentation. Following this meeting, contact will be made with the HEI seeking further clarifications as necessary and giving notice regarding a site visit if required and/or meeting with relevant HEI personnel. Arrangements for the visit/meeting are made through a call between the HEI, the Chair of the Review Panel, and the Rapporteur.
After the site visit, the Review Panel agrees on recommendations and prepares a draft report, which is issued to the HEI for feedback and confirmation of facts within 30 days.
The Review Panel Chairperson will present the report to the Council’s Education Committee who will:
1) Approve the accreditation of the programme; or
2) Refuse accreditation
If the Education Committee approves the accreditation of the programme, it may include requirements to be met within a specified timeframe.
The HEI and the Minister are informed of the outcome, and the report is published on the Teaching Council website.
The Teaching Council undertook the Second Cycle of Accreditation from 2021-2024, in which 52 existing ITE programmes at a total of 14 HEIs were reviewed. The average review time from submission date by the HEI to the Education Committee was approximately 8 months. A number of factors contribute to this timeframe, including time of the year for submission, the need for meetings and site visits to occur during the HEI academic year, and the schedule of dates for Education Committee meetings.
The Procedures for the Professional Accreditation of Programmes of ITE are available on the Teaching Council website here: www.teachingcouncil.ie/assets/uploads/2023/08/procedures.pdf
