Tom Hayes (Tipperary South, Fine Gael)
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Question 333: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the number of primary and post primary schools in South Tipperary that are being provided with psychological assessments by National Educational Psychological Service or by the scheme for the commissioning of individuals psychological assessments; the way he plans to manage the schools currently not covered; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43717/09]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, 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), full details of which are on the Department's website. Where there is no psychologist available through NEPS, a school may access psychological assessments through the Scheme for Commissioning Psychological Assessments (SCPA). Under the SCPA, such schools 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 can inform the Deputy that four psychologists have recently been employed within NEPS and that my Department and the Public Appointments Service (PAS) are currently actively engaging with some nine additional recruits to the service for assignment in the immediate future. New staff undergo a period of work shadowing, induction and assignment to a complement of schools. It is envisaged that this additional recruitment will directly impinge on school coverage in Tipperary Sth.

It is intended that NEPS will assess the effect of the assignment of these new staff, in the context of national coverage, at the end of the first term of 2009/10, at which time an up-to–date breakdown for Tipperary Sth. will be forwarded to the Deputy. For the Deputies information during the 2008/09 academic year some 58% of Primary and 81% of Post Primary schools received direct service from a NEPS psychologist.