Paudge Connolly (Cavan-Monaghan, Independent)
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Question 549: To ask the Minister for Education and Science her plans to address the shortage of psychologists in the National Educational Psychological Service; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9333/06]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The number of NEPS psychologists at present, including three NDA psychologists serving with NEPS and one psychologist currently serving with another section of the Department stands at 122. This number takes account of a number of resignations in recent months.

All schools that do not have NEPS psychologists assigned to them may avail of the scheme for commissioning psychological assessments, SCPA, whereby they can commission assessments from a member of a 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, are available on my Department's website.

NEPS also provides assistance to all schools and school communities that experience critical incidents, regardless of whether they have a NEPS psychologist assigned to them. In regard to all schools, NEPS processes applications for reasonable accommodations in certificate examinations. The Public Appointments Service recently concluded a new recruitment competition for the appointment of educational psychologists to NEPS. Two new psychologists have been appointed and my Department is currently in the process of recruiting a further nine. Regional panels have been established to allow my Department give greater priority in filling vacancies to areas with the greatest need.