Bernard Allen (Cork North Central, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 97: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the number of national schools currently covered by the NEPS; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12958/05]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The current situation is that 1,772 national schools have psychologists from the National Educational Psychological Service, NEPS, directly assigned to them and, therefore, have access to the full NEPS service. All schools that do not currently have NEPS psychologists assigned to them may avail of the scheme for commissioning psychological assessments, SCPA, whereby the schools can commission assessments from a member of the panel of private psychologists approved by NEPS, and NEPS will pay the fees directly to the psychologists concerned. Details of this scheme, including the conditions that apply to it, appear upon the Department's website.

NEPS also provides assistance to all schools that suffer from critical incidents, regardless of whether they have a NEPS psychologist assigned to them.