Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)

In February 1999, the Government decided to establish the national educational psychological service with delegated authority to develop and provide an educational psychological service to all students who need it in primary and post-primary schools and in other relevant centres supported by my Department. The Government also agreed that NEPS should be established in the first instance on an administrative basis as a dedicated executive agency of my Department and with an initial development period of five years.

NEPS was established accordingly with effect from 1 September 1999. It has not been established on a statutory basis and remains part of my Department. Following the recruitment of additional psychologists, there are now 128 psychologists in NEPS, compared with just 43 in 1999. Taking account of psychologists elsewhere in the educational system, it is estimated that there is now a total of approximately 145 in the sector.

The last Civil Service Commission panel of 69 entry-level psychologists has recently been exhausted and my Department is currently in contact with the Department of Finance with a view to securing sanction for the recruitment of additional psychologists to NEPS before the end of 2005. Further recruitment will depend on the availability of resources and must also take account of Government policy on public sector numbers.

At the end of 2004, NEPS was providing a full psychological service to approximately 60% of schools and 75% of pupils. To provide an assessment service to those schools that do not yet have access to the full NEPS service, my Department also funds NEPS to operate the scheme for commissioning psychological assessments.

Currently, NEPS has 28 administrative staff. As well as staff based in head office, NEPS staff are based in eight regional offices and in 11 local offices, the latter figure including several temporary offices.

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