Proposal from Children's Ombudsman could see teachers lose licences

Teachers could lose their licence to teach under recommendations by the Ombudsman for Children.

Dr Niall Muldoon has said that the long-promised fitness-to-teach hearings for education professionals should be introduced immediately.

He made the comments at the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection yesterday, saying that the hearings are needed to improve accountability in schools.

Assistant Secretary General of the TUI, Michael Gillespie, says teachers can be fired for misconduct as it is.

"After they've gone through a fair process, obviously based on professional competency issues or disciplinary issues then they can be fired from their employment," he said.

"And obviously in a small country, that would mean that there's obviously a poor reference and they might not get another job."