Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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I will provide further information on that. We have seconded a number of teachers to NEPS recently, to cover maternity leave absences. These teachers have the necessary qualifications and expertise to deliver the service. Obviously, they are teachers rather than psychologists, but we are doing something to fill that gap.

On the new model, we are working currently on how to design the pilot and are engaged with the National Council for Special Education, education research centres and so on to design a meaningful pilot. As soon as that is done, we will publish the information and invite schools to participate. I felt it was not appropriate to introduce the new model for September because we did not have the information on complex needs from the HSE and did not have enough time to respond to the concerns of schools. That is the reason we are introducing a pilot, and we will have the information on that as soon as the work is completed.