Teaching Council of Ireland
Seanad Éireann — 2026-06-23
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Cathal Byrne (FG), Cultural and Educational Panel

I appreciate the Minister of State’s coming here to speak on behalf of the Department and the Teaching Council. I recognise that each application is assessed on an individual basis.
I will supply him and the Department with the individual details of this constituent. The key point is there does not seem to be a clear timeline for a decision. I appreciate there were 680 applications from individuals who had qualified as teachers outside the State and who are looking to teach in Ireland. Will the Minister of State address the point about a clear timeline for telling an individual they have or have not been approved? The real issue is around uncertainty. Given the time of year, schools are taking on new teachers for the school year starting in late August or early September. In this case, we still have not got a response for this constituent who applied in May 2025. Clear timelines should be issued to the Teaching Council so there is certainty, notwithstanding the fact every application is different.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/seanad/2026-06-23/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:55:05+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-06-23