Written answers

Wednesday, 28 November 2007

Department of Education and Science

Psychological Service

8:00 pm

Photo of Emmet StaggEmmet Stagg (Kildare North, Labour)
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Question 238: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if her Department has finalised the allocation of the additional 31 educational psychologists to different counties; the schools to which they have been assigned; and the actual numbers of additional educational psychologists being appointed. [31581/07]

Photo of Mary HanafinMary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy will be aware, all schools have access to assessments for their pupils either directly through NEPS or through the Scheme for Commissioning Private Assessments. Through this scheme, schools that are not yet served directly by NEPS or Dublin VEC psychologists can commission assessments from any one of 140 private psychologists and NEPS will pay for them.

During the last academic year some 4,400 assessments were funded under the SCPA, at a total cost of nearly €1.5 million.

Almost 5,800 assessments were carried out by NEPS psychologists in the same period. In total over 10,000 assessments were paid for by my Department in the last school year.

The number of schools served directly by NEPS is, therefore, only half the picture. Nonetheless, the Government is committed to expanding the number of NEPS psychologists, so that more schools can receive a direct service. As part of this expansion, funding was made available earlier this year for 31 extra psychologists to be appointed to NEPS in 2007. The number of NEPS psychologists has increased from a total of 128 in April to a current level of 134. In all 9 psychologists have been recruited in this period but due to the normal effect of resignations and retirement the net increase is 6. While recruitment for the remaining positions has taken longer than expected, it is under way.

Six psychologists have been recruited since September and these undergo an induction and work shadowing process before being assigned a full quota of schools. The full effect of this intake which will not therefore become apparent in coverage terms for a number of weeks/months. In addition my Department has recently contracted a further 5 psychologists with 4 due to take up duty later in November/December this year. A further psychologist will take up duty in 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 competition has been focused on the appointment of psychologists outside the Dublin region. 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 early in the new year allowing recruitment to re-commence soon after. In this regard the assignment of psychologists to particular counties or regions will be predicated upon (1) the current levels of staffing in each NEPS region and (2) the availability of panellists to serve in those regions as a result of the new competition. The latter will not be known until the interviews are completed and the panels formed.

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