Written answers

Thursday, 1 July 2010

Department of Education and Science

Psychological Service

10:00 pm

Photo of Fergus O'DowdFergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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Question 299: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding an application for a National Education Psychological Service psychologist for a school (details supplied) in County Louth; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29100/10]

Photo of Mary CoughlanMary Coughlan (Donegal South 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 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, whereby the school can have an assessment carried out by a member of the panel of private psychologists approved and paid for by NEPS.

In common with many other psychological services and best international practice, NEPS encourages a staged assessment process, whereby each school takes responsibility for initial assessment, educational planning and remedial intervention. Only if there is a failure to make reasonable progress in spite of the school's best efforts, will a child be referred for individual psychological assessment. This system allows the psychologists to give early attention to urgent cases and also to help many more children indirectly than could be seen individually. It also ensures that children are not referred unnecessarily for psychological intervention.

Should school authorities have specific difficulties with regard any of the foregoing or in relation to a specific pupil I would suggest that they should contact the relevant local NEPS Regional Director, for whom contact details are available on my Department's website.

The Deputy will no doubt be aware of the undertaking within the Renewed Programme for Government to an overall expansion of NEPS psychologist numbers to 210, currently NEPS staffing numbers stand at 157. In this regard a new recruitment competition was set in train in February last by the Public Appointments Service (PAS) in conjunction with my Department's Personnel Section in order to establish a new panel from which this recruitment may be progressed. Interviewing of shortlisted candidates is currently underway and it is envisaged that the vetting, interviewing and empanelling of suitable applicants will be completed in time to recruit new psychologists for the beginning of the new school year. This targeted expansion will ultimately allow to the assignment of a NEPS psychologist to all primary and post-primary schools and pupils nationally and afford a level of enhancement of service to Special Needs Units and Schools regionally.

The assignment of a NEPS psychologist to the school referred to in the Deputy's question is a matter for consideration by the relevant NEPS Regional Director and will be subject obviously to the availability of suitably qualified personnel being empanelled in the above process for the relevant NEPS office.

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