Teaching Council

The Teaching Council is the statutory professional standards body for teachers in Ireland. It is responsible for the registration of individuals who wish to work as teachers in the state‑funded education sector. The Council maintains the national Register of Teachers and oversees compliance with the Code of Professional Conduct for Teachers. It also provides guidance on continuing professional development and handles fitness‑to‑teach inquiries.

The Council’s register includes teachers working across primary, post‑primary and further education settings. The phishing incident reported on 28 March 2020 exposed personal data for 9,735 teachers, indicating the scale of the information it holds. Exposed details comprised names, addresses, PPS numbers, registration details and vetting clearance statuses, while financial and criminal conviction data remained unaffected. The breach was described as isolated, with no wider system compromise noted by the organisation.

As the sole statutory body tasked with teacher registration and standard‑setting in Ireland, the Teaching Council occupies a distinct regulatory position within the education sector. It develops and upholds the Code of Professional Conduct, which guides ethical practice and professional behaviour for registered teachers. The Council also promotes ongoing professional learning and advises the Minister of Education on policy matters related to the teaching profession. Following the 2020 phishing attack, the organisation revised its internal email security protocols to prevent similar incidents.

The Teaching Council is headquartered in Ireland and operates as a state‑funded body under the auspices of the Department of Education. Its statutory foundation derives from the Teaching Council Acts, which define its functions and accountability. No further details about ownership or parent‑subsidiary relationships are specified in the available sources.