Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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Question 54: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if her attention has been drawn to the fact that there are only 127 educational psychologists serving more than 800,000 students, with only half of existing primary and secondary schools having access to such services; if her Department has plans to properly fund the provision of extra psychologists in order to curb the high rate of ADHD, depression and suicide among young people; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28453/07]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The Deputy will, I'm sure, 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 and have an assessment carried out by a member of the panel of private psychologists approved and paid for by NEPS. The prioritisation of urgent cases for assessment is a matter for the school principal in the first instance.

The Deputy will also be aware that since NEPS was established, we have trebled the number of psychologists in the service. Notwithstanding this and as I have previously announced my Department is committed to increasing psychological service staffing further, so that by 2009 there will be 200 NEPS psychologists. To this end I can inform the Deputy that my Department has been working, in conjunction with the Public Appointments Commission to recruit new psychologists from an existing panel to the service.

The number of psychologists as of April 2007 stood at 128 including 4 assigned to the National Behavioural Support Service and to the Further Education Service. Since then nine individuals have been appointed in this regard. This advance in numbers has been reduced somewhat by the effects of resignations and retirement and the compliment in service currently stands at 134. Three further psychologists are due to join NEPS under this process between now and early January 2008.

The panel concerned is now exhausted and the Public Appointments Service has recently announced the commencement of a competition from which a new panel will be drawn to continue the recruitment process. The deadline for receipt of applications in this regard has now passed and work is proceeding on the short-listing of candidates for interview. It is envisaged that the process will be completed and panels formed by the end of next month allowing recruitment to re-commence early in 2008. My Department remains committed to the development of a strong and robust educational psychological service serving the needs of all primary and post-primary pupils.

The occurrence of ADHD and Depression amongst young people is a serious issue which falls, in the first instance, into the province of clinical diagnosis and treatment by the appropriate health professionals. However schools fulfil an important role in this regard especially in terms of prevention. Such prevention needs to be addressed at whole school level through provision of relevant curricula for all children, through effective implementation of the Social Personal and Health Education (SPHE) programme, and through the provision of the supports afforded by a good care system, including the capacity to respond appropriately to early signs of difficulty. The development of self-esteem, general coping skills and personal effectiveness is the most appropriate way to help the general population of young people to deal with life pressures and stress. SPHE is now a compulsory subject both at primary level and in the junior cycle of post primary schools.

All post-primary schools have an ex-quota allocation for guidance and counselling provision. Qualified guidance counsellors are trained to provide counselling support to students and the guidance programme seeks to equip students with self management skills and encourages students to seek help during times of stress. Where children exhibit symptoms teachers, tutors, guidance counsellors, home school liaison co-ordinators and the services of the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) can all play an important role in this respect and where necessary make referral to the appropriate health agencies for definitive diagnosis and treatment.