Paudge Connolly (Cavan-Monaghan, Independent)
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Question 183: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the number of children in County Monaghan who are being assessed and receiving counselling under the National Education Psychological Service; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9836/05]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The work of the educational psychologists in the National Educational Psychological Service includes casework with individual children. This may include individual psychometric assessment, provision of advice and recommendations to teachers and parents on how best to meet the child's needs and, occasionally, some short-term counselling support. Counselling would be used for less serious emotional and or behavioural difficulties. Where there are serious difficulties, a referral to the clinical services of the Health Service Executive is initiated, with the consent of the child's parents for further diagnostic work and intervention.

At present, five NEPS psychologists, approximately equivalent to two whole-time psychologists, provide a service to 57 out of 77 schools in County Monaghan. The number of assessments undertaken in schools in the county during this school year is 44 to date and a further 38 are planned. This does not include assessments undertaken in six of the schools, for which information is not immediately available as the psychologist assigned to those schools is on annual leave.

According to the psychologists working in Monaghan, no children are receiving counselling from NEPS psychologists in this school year. A total of 14 have been referred to the clinical services of the HSE in Cavan-Monaghan. Four of these were referred following critical incidents in schools which necessitated involvement by the NEPS psychologist.

NEPS adds value to its psychological services through its support and development work with schools. This involves enhancing the skills of teachers in, for example, group and individual testing, behavioural management and programme development. In particular, NEPS psychologists in the north-eastern region meet clusters of guidance counsellors and other specialist teachers on a regular basis. In this way the counselling and educational needs of many children can be met without the necessity for individual psychological assessment or other interventions. The psychologists are available as consultants to teachers and parents, thus indirectly helping children.