Emmet Stagg (Kildare North, Labour)
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Question 1733: To ask the Minister for Education and Science when, in view of her recent announcement regarding the provision of additional educational psychologists for national schools, these psychologists will be appointed; the number that will be allocated to the Kildare region in view of the fact that 55% of national schools in County Kildare have no educational psychologist service; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2988/07]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy will be aware all primary and post primary schools have access to psychological assessments. Such access being provided either directly through the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) or through the Scheme for Commissioning Psychological Assessments (SCPA). Schools that do not currently 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.

I have been pleased recently to announce a 17% increase in the budget for NEPS in 2007 which will allow for the recruitment of 31 extra psychologists bringing the complement in this regard up to 158.

Planning and preparation is well advanced within my Department in relation to the recruitment of the extra staff and it is envisaged that all will be in place during the coming year. Decisions in relation to the actual placement of the extra will be made in the context of existing and developing priorities for the National Education Psychological Service.