Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Question 94: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if his attention has been drawn to a recent survey of more than 400 primary and secondary schools that shows that waiting time for psychological assessments is well over six months; his views on whether this is an unacceptably lengthy waiting time; his plans to address shortening waiting times for children in need of psychological assessment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14336/04]

Noel Dempsey (Meath, Fianna Fail)
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My attention has been drawn to the survey quoted and I have made inquiries about the current situation.

My Department established the National Educational Psychological Service, NEPS, in 1999 for a number of reasons, including concerns that many children did not have access at that time to psychological assessments. NEPS is not yet up to full strength, but my Department is committed to expanding the service as laid down in the Government decision of February 1999.

At present, there are three main routes by which school-going children may obtain psychological assessments. All schools have access to either the National Educational Psychological Service, NEPS or to the scheme for commissioning psychological assessments, SCPA, which is funded by my Department. Sanction for a further year of SCPA was renewed in January 2004. In some circumstances, children may be referred for assessment to the psychological services of the health boards or voluntary bodies under their aegis. It is not clear if the survey refers to all these services or to those in the education sector or to NEPS alone.

Experience in other jurisdictions shows that, in terms of value for money, a psychological service is most effective if it engages in support and development work in schools, particularly in programmes that prevent school failure. My Department's policy is that the main responsibility for assessment and remedial work is that of the school and is carried out by teachers in collaboration with psychologists. School-based assessment can be speedily arranged. The main role of the psychologist is to advise teachers on the choice of tests, to help them to interpret test results and to develop individualised learning plans. NEPS psychologists carry out individual assessments only if the school's interventions have not been effective over a period of time and/or if the child needs additional resources or facilities. This is known as the staged model of assessment.

NEPS psychologists therefore do not keep waiting lists in the sense of lists of pupils referred in chronological order. They prioritise assessment work in consultation with the schools. It is not clear if the survey refers to pupils who have been prioritised by the school after school-based assessment and intervention or if it includes pupils who have not yet been assessed by their teachers. In the latter case, one would expect several months to elapse before individual psychological assessment, while the school carries out its own assessment programme and develops and implements a learning plan.

It was inevitable that there would be a backlog of assessment work to be met when NEPS was established. However, good progress has been made. The NEPS east coast region conducted a survey of the psychological service in the region in April 2003, which indicated that the average elapsed time between referral and first interview was five weeks. This is a well-staffed region and may not be typical of the whole country. However, it perhaps indicates what may be expected when NEPS is up to full strength.

All NEPS psychologists are required to include in their service or business plans a number of contingency days for urgent cases, for example, severe behavioural difficulties or severe disability or children who are the subject of legal proceedings. Such events are responded to in a matter of weeks if not days. Pupils that are perceived to have less serious problems may therefore have to wait longer for psychological assessment, but meanwhile they can receive help in school with advice from their psychologist.

If NEPS psychologists are concerned about the length of waiting time in an individual case, they can bring this to their line manager, who may arrange for help from the rest of the local team. If there are similar problems in schools served by SCPA, they can bring this to the attention of the NEPS manager of SCPA.