Teaching in the Republic of Ireland

Did you qualify as a teacher in Northern Ireland and now want to work in the Republic of Ireland?

Information on teaching in the Republic of Ireland can be found in the INTO Webinar recording, PowerPoint presentation and Guidance Leaflet below:

Download the INTO Guide: Teaching in the Republic of Ireland (pdf) which explains the process for you.

Watch the INTO Webinar ‘Teaching in the Republic of Ireland’:

Teaching in the Republic of Ireland from INTO on Vimeo.

For further information download the INTO PowerPoint Presentation (PPt)

Frequently Asked Questions Teaching in the Republic of Ireland (ROI)

Teachers who have qualified in Northern Ireland, and elsewhere, and wish to teach to the Republic of Ireland (ROI) often seek the advice of the INTO on making this transition to the ROI. Below are some Frequently Asked Questions regarding this process and the actions needed to successfully begin teaching in the ROI from another jurisdiction.

I want to find out how to get registered to teach in the ROI

Yes, to be eligible to work in ROI, you must register with the Teaching Council. You need documentation including copies of your exam transcripts, evidence of your teaching experience, a character reference and a statement of recognition from a recognised teaching authority (example, GTC NI).
You can register with the Teaching Council via their website, www.teachingcouncil.ie. You need to set up a MyRegistration account and log in. As a primary teacher, you will be registering via Route 1, using the PRQA-01 online application form.



You need documentation including copies of your exam transcripts, evidence of your teaching experience, a character reference and a statement of recognition from a recognised teaching authority. You will also need to pay a registration fee of €90.










	You can register with the Teaching Council via their website, www.teachingcouncil.ie. You need to set up a MyRegistration account and log in. As a post primary teacher, you will be registering via Route 2, using the PPQA-01 online application form.




You need documentation including copies of your exam transcripts, evidence of your teaching experience, a character reference and a statement of recognition from a recognised teaching authority. You will also need to pay a registration fee of €90.










	Yes, as part of your application to register with the Teaching Council, you will need to apply for a vetting disclosure. Only vetting through the Teaching Council is accepted. The National Vetting Bureau (NVB) will send your application to the PSNI for clearance. If you have lived abroad for one year or more cumulatively, you will also require police clearance from that country.










	Applications can take up to 12 weeks from when you have submitted all the required documentation. If you are already registered with the GTC NI this timeframe may be shorter.










	You may be granted Conditional Registration if your application has not fulfilled all of the Teaching Council’s registration requirements. If this is the case, you will receive a Conditional Registration letter, which will outline what the conditions of your registration are, what you need to do to meet them, and the time frame within which you must meet these conditions. If you do not meet all of the conditions within the agreed time frame and you are not granted an extension, your registration will lapse.










	If you are working as a primary teacher in Ireland, you must fulfil an Irish language requirement. If you do not have an Irish language qualification, you must complete an aptitude or adaptation test to prove you are competent to teach the Irish language. After you receive a Conditional Registration, you will have three years to complete the test. During this time, you can work at the qualified rate of pay.




However, while your registration is conditional, you may only work in appropriate settings, i.e. teaching roles where the teaching of Irish is not required. You do not have to complete the test if you obtained the Irish medium PGCE or B.Ed from St Mary’s University College Belfast. To maintain your Route 1 registration with the Teaching Council, you must resolve your conditional registration within the sanctioned time.


There is no requirement for post primary teachers in Ireland to fulfil an Irish language requirement, unless they intend to teach Irish as a subject.










	In order to work as a post primary teacher, you must meet the requirements for at least one post-primary curricular subject. The requirements necessary to teach each subject can be found on the Teaching Council website. Additionally, you must take an exam on the history and structure of the ROI education system. The Teaching Council organises online exams several times each year. More detailed information on the content and scheduling of these exams can be found on the Teaching Council website.






I want to find out how to secure a teaching job in the ROI








	Many schools in the ROI will advertise their permanent, fixed-term and substitute positions on Education Posts  or on Staffroom. Applicants may be required to complete and return a Standard Application form or send their CV. Schools may also request that applicants furnish them with a letter of application, their references or a copy of their certificates, diplomas and degrees.




Each school is an individual employer. The exception to this is in the case of Community National Schools at primary level, and Community Colleges at post primary level, where the relevant ETB is the employer www.etbi.ie/.Short term substitute positions may be advertised on Sub Seeker: www.educationposts.ie/page/faq/ss-seekers.










	A CID is an equivalent contract to a permanent contract with an employer, the BOM/ETB of a school.










	Teachers working in the ROI can obtain permanent jobs through a number of avenues. Teachers can build up eligibility for a Contract of Indefinite Duration (CID) through continuous service in excess of two years in the same school, provided there is a viable contract available for the third year. More information regarding CIDs is available on the INTO website: bit.ly/ContractofIndefiniteDuration.










	Primary teachers can also obtain a permanent job through the Supplementary Panel. In order to be eligible for the Supplementary Panel, a teacher must have moved up at least three incremental points for their substitute or fixed term service by the end of the December when they apply, or if they have only moved up two incremental points, they must hold a contract to the end of the school year in which they apply. At the end of the school year, once the Main (redeployment) Panel has cleared, schools can fill their permanent vacancies through the Supplementary Panel. For more information, please visit the INTO website: bit.ly/INTOsupplementaryPanel.




Teachers may also obtain permanent jobs through open competition. For primary teachers, this is provided both the Main and Supplementary Panels in that area have cleared. These jobs are appointed in a similar way to fixed term posts, typically through advertisement on Education Posts.






I want to find out about my pay and pension entitlements working as a teacher in the ROI








	Primary and Post Primary teachers are paid each fortnight on a Thursday on alternating weeks through the Department of Education (DE) Payroll. Post primary teachers in ETB schools are paid through the relevant ETB payroll. There is the option of receiving your payslip electronically bit.ly/digitalpostbox.










	Teachers who commence work in the ROI on or after 1 January 2011 are placed on the post 2011 pay scale. Teachers begin on point 1 of this pay scale, and move up one incremental point on the scale for each year of service (or each 182 days if working as a substitute in primary, 166 days if working as a substitute in post primary). There may be some allowances payable e.g. for promoted posts.  Incremental credit may be earned for recognised service from Northern Ireland. Details of the pay scale for both primary and post primary teachers can be found in Circular 33/2024.










	Teachers who are paid incremental salary by the DE may apply for incremental credit for previous employment. Incremental credit may be awarded to qualified primary teachers in recognition of relevant teaching and non-teaching service for the purpose of progression on the incremental salary scale.




As per Circular 0010/2001 (primary) and 0029/2007 (post primary) teachers who trained in Northern Ireland or Britain may be granted incremental credit for all full time temporary or permanent recognised qualified primary teaching service in schools in Northern Ireland or Britain, subject to a number of criteria being satisfied.


To apply for incremental credit, a person must obtain verification of service from the relevant employer and submit a copy of the application form contained in the relevant circular to the Incremental Credit section of the DE for assessment. More information is available on the INTO website: bit.ly/IncrementalCredit.










	Teachers who begin teaching in the ROI on or after 1 January 2013 are members of the Single Pension Scheme. There is a vesting period of two years. This scheme, across the public service, bases pensions on career average earnings. The current contribution rates for the Single Public Service Pension are 3.5% of net pensionable remuneration and 3% of gross pensionable remuneration. This contribution automatically includes pensions for spouses or civil partners and eligible children. For more information on the Single Pension Scheme, visit the INTO website: bit.ly/SingleScheme.










	No, you cannot transfer your pension from another jurisdiction into the Single Pension Scheme in the ROI. You would have two separate pension entitlements which must be claimed separately.










	To access social welfare benefits, public services and information, you need a Personal Public Service Number (PPSN). To apply, complete the REG 1 application form at: bit.ly/GetaPPSN.






I want to find out about my working conditions and professional matters in the ROI








	DE Circulars set out the terms and conditions of employment for teachers including staffing, pay, pension, leave entitlements, the working day and standardised school year. Leave entitlements may either be statutory or non-statutory.




Other Circulars may outline approaches to educational, curricular and administrative matters including Special Educational Needs, school grants and appointment procedures. All Circulars can be found on the DE’s website, and helpful summaries of primary teacher terms and conditions can be found on the INTO website.










	Teachers working in the ROI have entitlements to a wide range of different types of leave, both statutory and non-statutory. Details of these various leave entitlements for both primary and post primary teachers can be found in DE Circulars on the DE website. The INTO Leave Estimator provides detailed information on the types of leave available to primary teachers in the ROI, how many days of leave they are entitled to and if the leave provides for substitute cover or not.










	The National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) is a statutory body for the DE who advise the Minister for Education on curriculum and assessment in schools, as well as assessment procedures used in schools and examinations on subjects which are part of the curriculum. The various curricula used in both primary and post primary settings are published on their website ncca.ie/en, as well as guidelines, toolkits, exemplars and assessment resources.










	Teachers at both Primary and Post-Primary level are required to prepare both short term and long-term plans for the class(es) they teach, as well as record their assessment of the students’ learning. The nature of these plans, and often new plans need to be prepared, will depend on whether the teacher is working in a Primary or Post Primary setting. Plans are required to be prepared for both Mainstream Class teaching and when supporting children with Special Educational Needs. A more detailed breakdown of the planning requirements for each setting, as well as templates and toolkits, is available at: www.teacherinduction.ie/en/supports/nqt-planning-support.




In a school, the teachers’ planning and assessment, as well as the teaching and learning taking place is the classroom, is subject to evaluation by the Inspectorate. These inspections can include curriculum evaluations, Whole School Evaluations (WSE), child protection and safeguarding, or follow through inspections to evaluate how a school had implemented previous inspection recommendations. More information can be found in Code of Practice for the DE Inspectorate.





                        
                        
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