Seymour Crawford (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Question 32: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the number of psychologists working with the National Educational Psychological Service; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2894/05]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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At present there are 128 psychologists working with the National Educational Psychological Service, NEPS.

The last Civil Service Commission panel of 69 entry level psychologists has recently been exhausted and my Department has initiated the process to run a new recruitment competition. Further recruitment of psychologists to NEPS will depend on the availability of resources and must also take account of Government policy on public sector numbers.

My Department has also allocated funding to NEPS to allow for the commissioning of psychological assessments from private practitioners. The scheme for commissioning psychological assessments, SCPA, is an interim measure, aimed at providing a service to schools that do not yet have access to the psychological service provided by NEPS.