Kathleen Funchion (Carlow-Kilkenny, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State. I will talk to the school about contacting NEPS directly and about what I would describe as interim measures in terms of the regional team. I imagine the regional team could be overstretched as well, but I do not know that. It is, however, a common occurrence.

In regard to what the Minister of State says about no school being without a NEPS psychologist, obviously some schools do not have one if the person concerned got a promotion. Perhaps it is not the only school affected. I imagine that a number of schools is assigned to each psychologist. The school in question is very much of the opinion that it was informed that there is not a psychologist assigned to it. I do not know if there has been a breakdown in communication but that is the information the school has got when it has children waiting to be referred for assessment. I disagree with what the Minister of State has said about the school having a NEPS psychologist because with all due respect, the school would not have contacted me and asked me to raise it if it had access to the service.

Is the private service to which the Minister of State referred something a school can avail of? Is there a cost to the school or is it covered? I would imagine that if there is a cost to the school that it would not be an option for the vast majority of schools, which we already know are under pressure in terms of fundraising and everything else, in particular with the increased costs. It is interesting to hear about the private service if it is something the school can access in the interim because it might be a helpful stopgap while waiting for somebody to be appointed.

I assume that a person will be appointed as a psychologist to the school, or whatever group of schools in the area that is potentially missing a psychologist as a result of the promotion.

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