The Teaching Council has announced its intention to seek the approval of the Minister for Education and Skills for a reduction in the annual Registration Renewal Fee from €90 to €65 with effect from January 1st, 2013. This will come as a welcome development to most teachers as the level of the Registration Renewal Fee has become a bone of contention and, indeed, is resented by many teachers. Although the first meeting of the newly-appointed Teaching Council took place on last Wednesday March 28th, it has emerged that this recommendation to reduce the Registration Renewal Fee was put forward by the outgoing Teaching Council. In a statement on its website, the Teaching Council says:
“At its meeting on 26 March 2012, the outgoing Teaching Council reviewed its financial statements for 2011 and budget for 2012. In the context of the Council’s current financial situation and the impending commencement of section 30 as indicated by the Minister for Education and Skills, the Council decided to recommend to the Minister for Education and Skills that the annual teacher registration renewal fee be reduced from €90 to €65 with effect from 01 January 2013.
It is intended that all teachers whose registration falls due for renewal during 2013 would benefit from this reduction.
For those whose registration falls due for renewal during 2012, the existing €90 fee will continue to apply.
The application fee for initial registration will remain unchanged at €90.”
In an interview with this website in February 2011, the outgoing Director of the Teaching Council, Áine Lawlor (who has still not been replaced), said that:
“both the Finance Committee of the Council and the full Council itself has considered and discussed the issue of whether or not the annual fee should be reduced. It was decided that it would be prudent to leave the fee at its current level and hold it at that for a number of years rather than implement a short-term reduction and have to increase it again in the near future.”
So, whatever the reason for the shift in policy on this matter, most teachers will welcome this proposed reduction in the Registration Renewal Fee.
