Olwyn Enright (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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Question 613: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the reason no increase has happened with regard to fees paid to psychologists who offer services to schools under the scheme for commissioning psychological assessment since 2001; her views on same; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12807/07]

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). The SCPA was established, pending the expansion to all schools of the service provided by NEPS psychologists, specifically to undertake assessments with individual children and young people. Schools are allowed annual access the scheme at a level commensurate with 2% of school enrolment. A panel of private psychologists was established and has been refreshed annually and currently has 149 psychologists listed. A number of applicants for inclusion on the panel is currently being considered within NEPS.

Since its establishment over 20,000 assessments have been commissioned under the scheme at a cost of some €6.8m. In 2006 some 4,250 assessments were provided in this regard and to date in 2007 almost 800 assessments have been billed to NEPS, which is up to par with the same period last year. NEPS has reviewed the operation of the scheme and schools generally have expressed a high level of satisfaction with it. I can confirm to the Deputy that the fee paid for this service, €330 per assessment has remained static since 2001 and that the level and pace of assessment has remained consistent in this time. More recently however questions have been raised by some practitioners from the panel in relation to its level and my Department's NEPS service is currently examining the matter.