Naoise Ó Muirí
Ceist:587. Deputy Naoise Ó Muirí asked the Minister for Education and Youth her views on a matter (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34505/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraTuesday, 12 May 2026
Ceisteanna (587)
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 is the regulator of the teaching profession in Ireland. Its role is to protect the public by promoting and regulating professional standards in teaching. This is done 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 Department engages with the Teaching Council across all issues of relevance, in accordance with legislation, and there has been engagement on the matter referred to by the Deputy in this query.
Through its statutory role, the Teaching Council as the regulator of the profession has established a robust system to ensure the highest professional standards including the Code of Professional Conduct for Teachers and the fitness to teach provision under Part 5?of the Teaching Council Acts, 2001 - 2015, as amended. Teaching is a profession built on professional standards underpinned by the values of respect, care, integrity and trust.
Part 5 of the Teaching Council Acts 2001-2015, which was enacted in 2016, provides for the consideration and investigation of complaints relating to registered teachers. Complaints can be made by anyone (including the Council) to the Teaching Council’s Investigating Committee in relation to a registered teacher on one or more of the grounds which are set out in section 42(1) of the Teaching Council Acts. These grounds include professional misconduct, poor professional performance, conduct contrary to the Code of Professional Conduct for Teachers and in certain circumstances, convictions. It can also consider complaints regarding incidents involving registered teachers that occurred prior to 25 July 2016, in certain circumstances as outlined on the Teaching Council website.
The Investigating Committee considers and investigates complaints. If a complaint is of a serious nature, the Investigating Committee will refer it to the Disciplinary Committee for an inquiry. Where a complaint goes forward to the holding of an inquiry, allegations must be proven beyond reasonable doubt. If an allegation is proven, sanctions can include a suspension from the register for a period or a teacher being removed from the register. All matters of complaint are dealt with confidentially, respectfully and with the utmost sensitivity and compassion.
At the outset of the complaint process, if a member of the public is concerned that children or vulnerable persons are, or may be, at the risk of harm the Teaching Council encourages the complainant to inform:
• The school where the teacher is teaching
• TUSLA, the Child and Family Agency
• An Garda Síochána, where appropriate
• Make a complaint to the Teaching Council.
In addition, the Council will, at all times, comply with its reporting obligations to bodies, including An Garda Síochána and Tusla (The Child and Family Agency), regarding the protection of children and vulnerable persons.
The Teaching Council does not coordinate with Tusla during its interview process as this is a separate and distinct process to the Teaching Council’s complaint process. However, the Investigating Committee can seek relevant information from Tusla to assist with its own investigation.
Under the Education Act 1998, legally, all schools are managed by the school Board of Management, on behalf of the school patrons. It is the school Board of Management that employs the school’s teachers and other staff members except in Education and Training Board (ETB) schools, where it is the ETB that is the employer.
School authorities must ensure compliance with the requirements of the National Vetting Bureau (Children and Vulnerable Persons) Acts 2012 to 2016 (the Vetting Act) and with relevant Department circulars in relation to Garda vetting of school personnel and other persons who undertake relevant work or activities with children or vulnerable persons.
All teachers are legally required to be vetted by the National Vetting Bureau. It is the role of the Teaching Council to administer vetting for teachers in Ireland. The Teaching Council assesses the vetting disclosure (result) to establish if a teacher can be registered. The role of the school is to receive and assess the vetting disclosure when employing teachers.
As an additional safeguard, the child protection related Statutory Declaration, and a Form of Undertaking must be provided to the employer by all persons being appointed to teaching and non-teaching positions of any duration. The Statutory Declaration provides that the person to be employed confirms that “there is nothing, from a child protection perspective, in relation to my conduct, character or personal background of any nature that would adversely affect the position of trust in which I would be placed in relation to children or vulnerable adults by virtue of my appointment to any teaching or non-teaching position in any recognised primary or post-primary school or any other state funded centre of education for children or vulnerable adults”.