Dinny McGinley (Donegal South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 444: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if her attention has been drawn to the serious shortage of child-school psychologists in County Donegal; the plans for increasing the number of child psychologists in the county; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13158/05]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The development plan drawn up by the national educational psychological service, NEPS, envisages that there should ultimately be up to seven educational psychologists serving County Donegal. I am aware that at present County Donegal does not have its full complement of NEPS psychologists in place. At present, NEPS is in a position to assign approximately 2.7 psychologists — whole time equivalents — to the county. This allows for the provision of an educational psychological service to approximately 51% of all school pupils in the county.

It has proved difficult to recruit suitably qualified personnel to serve in the north-western region. The north-western region has been identified as one of the priority regions for assignment of NEPS psychologists to be recruited in the future. Arrangements for the recently established Public Appointments Service to set up new recuitment panels for NEPS are at a preliminary stage. Regional panels are proposed and this will enable my Department to give priority to filling vacancies in areas of greatest need. Any increase in the number of psychologists in NEPS will depend on the availablity of resources and must also take account of Government policy on public sector numbers.

Pending the expansion of NEPS to cover all schools, those that are not yet served by NEPS may avail of the scheme for the commissioning of psychological assessments, SCPA. The SCPA is an interim measure and was specifically introduced to minimise delays for those children who need an educational psychological assessment on an urgent basis.