As part of the registration process, the Teaching Council must be satisfied that a person is a fit and proper person to be admitted to the register as set out in Section 31(5)(b) of the Teaching Council Acts 2001 to 2012 and Section 10(1)(b) of the Teaching Council [Registration] Regulations 2016 and Teaching Council [Registration] (Amendments) Regulations 2016. As an applicant for registration you must:
provide a Character Reference that is certified by an appropriately qualified person, and
undergo the National Vetting Bureau vetting process
Character Reference
The online registration application requires you to submit a Character Reference which must be certified by a person (see below) who has known you for at least one academic year within the past five years.
This form must be certified by one of the following:
- the Head of School Placement in the college or university where you completed your teacher education programme,
- a tutor of the college or university where you completed your teacher education programme or primary degree,
- a school principal or CEO of an Education and Training Board (ETB), or
- a teacher registered with the Teaching Council in Ireland.
Vetting
It is a requirement under the National Vetting Bureau (Children and Vulnerable Persons) Acts 2012 to 2016 (NVB Act) that individuals who work with children and vulnerable persons be vetted by the National Vetting Bureau (the Bureau).
The Teaching Council is the authorised body for administering vetting for teachers in Ireland and is required to assess the vetting disclosure for suitability for registration. The school is required to receive and assess the vetting disclosure for employment purposes.
The Role of School Authorities
The relevant school authority (Board of Management or ETB as appropriate) must ensure that any proposed new appointee who may have unsupervised access to children or vulnerable adults is vetted. This should be sought only if the person is being offered a job. Schools must request prospective teachers to present the vetting Disclosure from the Teaching Council, before making a formal offer of appointment.
Overseas Addresses
Only applicants for registration must submit overseas documentation if they have spent a cumulative period of 12 months or more abroad after the age of 18. All applications for registration must apply for vetting whether or not they have lived in Ireland/Northern Ireland.
- Applicants for registration who have lived overseas for a cumulative period of 12 months or more after the age of 18 must provide a photocopy of police clearance for each country in which they have resided. These clearance certificates must cover the entire period of residence in each country.
