Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 222: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills when the guidelines for National Educational Psychological Service psychologists on the assessment of RACE applications were drawn up; the person they were drawn up by; if stakeholders were consulted for input into the guidelines; his plans to review these guidelines; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9355/11]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I can inform the Deputy the psychologists from my Department's NEPS service process RACE applications, on behalf of the State Examinations Commission (SEC) in respect of Leaving Certificate students. Recommendations are made by these psychologists within the context of principals and criteria set down by the SEC for the awarding of a given accommodation. The guidelines to which the Deputy refers were developed by a working group of NEPS psychologists in 2004 to make operational these principles, inform operating practice in processing individual applications and act as a technical guide for psychologists undertaking this task.

The working group undertaking this task consulted with relevant stakeholders both within my Department and later within the SEC. The guidelines have since been subject to annual review within NEPS especially in the light of developments in and changes to the relevant psychometric test instruments and this will continue to be the case.