Ms Anne Tansey:

I thank the Deputy for her question. In relation to NEPS numbers, it is important to note that we have grown from a base of 173 whole-time equivalent psychologists in 2016 up to what the Deputy rightly stated is now a sanctioned figure of 221 whole-time equivalent psychologists. We currently have 206 psychologists in post and we have recently recruited three more psychologists during the month of March. We have engaged with the Public Appointments Service and we are planning a recruitment competition for NEPS in this quarter to fill the remaining vacancies in NEPS. We have managed to fill the vacancies that have occurred in NEPS over the past four years and are hopeful that the next recruitment competition will enable us to fill the current vacancies that we have.

To date this year, with the staff that we have, we provided an individual casework service for 5,743 children and young people with additional needs in our schools despite the restrictions that have been in place as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. NEPS has provided a blended model of service delivery during this period. We have provided an in-school service where it is essential and possible to do so within the guidelines. We have also adopted a remote service delivery where we work through teachers and through parents to support individual children with additional needs in their schools. This approach, we feel, has been largely successful. Moreover, for the information of members, our figures with regard to casework will reach those comparable to pre-pandemic years.