Mr. Michael Walsh:

Every team in the country operates differently. No two teams work on the same principles. The Deputy was talking about a child in sixth class who is transitioning into secondary school. The problem is that that child may not have been seen. What is the problem with the child? If he or she has been in school for eight or nine years at that stage, he should have had a National Educational Psychological Service, NEPS, assessment if he or she was having difficulties. That could have brought forward other difficulties. Schools would have informed parents. They do the Conners scale and the Drumcondra tests and get the the Drumcondra primary reading test, MICRA-T, and Drumcondra primary mathematics test, SIGMA-T, scores. They know the level of intellectual functioning of that child. If that intellectual functioning is challenged early, that should be brought to the parents and the parents should be able to find out where to go from there. The NEPS psychologist should be able to advise the child in the school prior to the child getting anywhere.