Emer Currie
Ceist:1388. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Education and Youth the average waiting time for the Teaching Council customer service line; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25297/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraTuesday, 14 April 2026
Ceisteanna (1388)
Freagraí scríofa
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 registers teachers under the Teaching Council Act 2001-2015 and in line with the 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.
As a statutory body, the Teaching Council is mandated by law to properly determine and to authenticate the relevant standards and qualifications of all applicants for registration, including those who have qualified outside of Ireland.
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 does this 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 www.teachingcouncil.ie/corporate-customer-services/customer-service-commitment/ has been developed to reflect the Council’s commitment to providing high standards of service in accordance with Quality Customer Service initiatives approved by Government. Council staff are committed to engaging professionally and respectfully with all stakeholders.
In the delivery of its functions, the Council is committed to providing customer service of the highest standards to the public and stakeholders, with a focus on remaining professional, open and transparent. This Charter sets out the service experience that the Teaching Council aims to provide to the public and stakeholders through the provision of information on standards of service, feedback and complaints.
The Teaching Council has informed me that it maintained an average call wait time of 34 seconds across all lines in quarter 1 of 2026.