Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour) | Oireachtas source

Subject to the direction of the Chairman, there are some outstanding questions. Deputy McConalogue referred to the replacement of prefabs. In 2012, under the prefab replacement initiative, approval was given to 170 schools nationally to replace 458 prefab units with permanent accommodation. In excess of €42 million was allocated for the initiative, of which €35 million has been paid to date. Of these, a total of 157 projects have gone to construction and 108 have been completed. The total rental saving achieved by the 108 completed projects is in the region of €2.1 million per annum. The figures will be subject to change as further projects are completed. Last year, I announced a further prefab replacement initiative, replacing in the region of 115 prefabs in 46 schools with permanent accommodation. A total of €15 million is allocated for the academic year, 2013-14, and the further initiative should result in an additional rent saving of €2.5 million. Both Deputies have received details on the matter concerning the replacement of prefabs and a list of all schools currently renting such accommodation at present. If Deputies want to ask me a question on any of those, I will happily answer it.

With regard to the National Educational Psychological Service, NEPS, referred to by Deputy Jonathan O'Brien, from the start of the 2013-14 academic year and based on a staffing complement of 173 whole-time equivalents, NEPS assigned a psychologist to all mainstream schools in order to provide the full advisory and support service. This means that NEPS psychologists have taken on additional school numbers and pupils supported by the use of the scheme for the commissioning of psychological assessments, SCPA, where the psychologist deems it appropriate. Particular attention is being placed on the development of clustering of small schools, which constitute a large proportion of schools not currently assigned a psychologist in respect of the effective provision for direct NEPS services. Some special national schools, which currently receive psychological services from HSE agencies, will continue as before.