Written answers

Tuesday, 8 November 2005

Department of Education and Science

Psychological Service

8:00 pm

Photo of Michael NoonanMichael Noonan (Limerick East, Fine Gael)
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Question 147: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the number of secondary schools which have access to the National Educational Psychological Service; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32709/05]

Photo of Olwyn EnrightOlwyn Enright (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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Question 170: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the number of primary schools which have access to the National Educational Psychological Service; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32707/05]

Photo of Mary HanafinMary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 147 and 170 together.

All primary and post-primary schools have access to psychological assessments for their pupils, either directly through National Educational Psychological Service, NEPS, psychologists or through the scheme for commissioning psychological assessments, SCPA, that is administered by NEPS. Schools that do not have NEPS psychologists assigned to them may avail of the SCPA, whereby the school can have an assessment carried out by a member of the panel of private psychologists approved by NEPS, and NEPS will pay the psychologist the fees for this assessment directly. Details of this process and the conditions that apply to the scheme are available on my Department's website.

As of October 2005, NEPS psychologists provided a dedicated service to a total of 1,623 primary schools and to 563 post-primary schools. The latter figure does not include 46 City of Dublin Vocational Education Committee, CDVEC, schools that have a VEC educational psychological service.

NEPS provides assistance to all schools that suffer from critical incidents, regardless of whether they have a NEPS psychologist assigned to them. Also, in relation to all schools, NEPS processes applications for reasonable accommodation in certificate examinations.

The number of NEPS psychologists has increased almost three-fold, from 43 on establishment to 123 at present. The Public Appointments Service has recently established new recruitment panels for NEPS. Regional panels are now in place 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 availability of resources and must also take account of Government policy on public sector numbers.

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