Charlie McConalogue (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The Minister's response shows again that this not a pilot scheme. As she noted, assurances are provided to schools engaging in the scheme that they will not lose any resource teaching hours as a result of their participation. However, the outcome of the change the Minister wishes to implement is that many schools will lose resource teaching hours. How can this be described as a pilot scheme? While the Department may learn something from the scheme, it will be a sham if this approach is not implemented in full, as the Minister plans.

The Minister indicated that the National Educational Psychological Service does not maintain a list of students who are waiting for a psychological assessment. How appropriate, given that if it were to maintain a waiting list, it would become clear to NEPS that there is no end to the number of students who are unable to obtain the assessment required to provide a clear picture of the supports they need, including the resource hours they need to help them develop.

Even if the findings of the new pilot project are implemented, does the Minister not agree that assessments by NEPS psychologists of students who have particular needs will continue to be important in ensuring that schools and parents are made aware of students' needs and that the children in question are provided with adequate supports? The Government must address the shortage of NEPS psychologists and take a realistic and honest approach to this issue. The current approach of introducing a pilot scheme is a sham because it is not a proper pilot scheme.

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