Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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Question 804: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the number of and the specific schools in the Dublin South constituency that have had their National Educational Psychological Service cover withdrawn in recent days; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9746/07]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The Deputy will be aware that all primary and post- primary schools have access to psychological assessments 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.

NEPS operates a regionally based service with eight regional directorates each responsible for the primary and post-primary schools within that region. Additionally each region bears national responsibility for specific cross-cutting operational areas within the organisation (e.g. Special Education Liaison, Litigation, Research, etc.). NEPS service coverage within each regional is therefore governed by number of NEPS psychologists assigned, the number of schools in that region and the specific national responsibilities.

I can inform the Deputy that there has recently been some reordering of national responsibilities in the Eastern Regional Area, which includes parts of South Dublin and Co. Wicklow, which has resulted in some changes in school coverage from 1 March last. In addition a number of schools designated under the DEIS scheme not heretofore assigned to a NEPS psychologist were so assigned in this period. I attach for your information a list of schools in this region setting the position vis-À-vis NEPS service and an additional listing for the schools whose position has changed in this regard following this reorganisation.

I reiterate that schools which do not have a NEPs psychologist assigned to them have access to the SCPA process to service their assessment needs. In addition to psychological assessment NEPS provides assistance to all schools and school communities that experience critical incidents regardless of whether or not they have a NEPS psychologist assigned to them and processes applications for Reasonable Accommodation in Certificate Examinations. NEPS also provides a service to children with visual impairment irrespective of the school which they attend. Nonetheless should any school, not receiving coverage under the NEPS service have particular difficulties in accessing assessment I would advise that they contact the relevant NEPs Regional Director to discuss their issues.

Finally you will be aware that I have, building on the existing complement of 127 NEPS psychologists, announced an increase of 31 posts in 2007 of NEPS psychologist staff. My Department is currently in discussions with the Public Appointments Service in an effort to recruiting of these individuals as soon as possible in this regard. It is envisaged that these appointments will allow for further expansion of coverage by NEPS psychologists across all regions. Additionally under the Towards 2016 Agreement commitments I have further announced that Neps psychologist number shall expand by some 35 posts in the following two years.