Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 714: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if medical or psychological assessment will be undertaken in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; if, in conjunction with his general practitioner, information will be obtained as to whether this behaviour was in any way attributable to their medication or alteration to his medication together with the Department's psychological service and or the Health Service Executive; if he will offer the necessary facilities to ensure that the student will sit his leaving certificate examination and that every possible support will be availed of to enable him to do so; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6827/10]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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I can inform the Deputy that all primary and post primary schools have access to psychological assessments either directly through my Department's National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) or through the Scheme for Commissioning Psychological Assessments (SCPA) which is administered by NEPS. NEPS in common with other psychological services encourages a staged assessment process whereby each school takes responsibility for initial assessment, educational planning and remedial intervention, in consultation with their assigned NEPS psychologist. Only if there is a failure to make reasonable progress in spite of the school's best efforts, will a student be referred for individual psychological assessment. This system allows the psychologists to give early attention to urgent cases and also to help many more students indirectly than could be seen individually.

Students who manifest very special or urgent needs in school and who have not been previously assessed by a psychologist and are brought to the attention of a NEPS psychologist by the Principal teacher will usually be assessed by the psychologist as soon as practicable. Normally, principals of schools prioritise those students in need of psychological assessment in consultation with the assigned psychologist. I have checked on the matter with the NEPS service and the student in question has not been brought to the attention of the assigned psychologist by current school authorities. I would suggest that an approach be made to the relevant school principal in the first instance in this connection. Obviously the exchange of any information in relation to the student's education or medical condition would be a matter for the student, his parents, the school authorities and the relevant medical practitioner(s).

The Deputy will be aware, that under Section 29 (1) of the Education Act 1998, where a school Board of Management permanently excludes a student from school, suspends a pupil from attendance at a school for a period as prescribed in the act (20 days), the parent of the student may appeal that decision to the Secretary General of the Department of Education, and have that appeal heard by a committee appointed for that purpose.