Marcella Corcoran Kennedy (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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Question 81: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills when a child (details supplied) in County Offaly will receive a psychological assessment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31359/12]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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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 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.

Children 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 within that school term. Normally, principals of schools prioritise those children in need of psychological assessment in consultation with the assigned psychologist.

I have made enquiries in regard to the pupil mentioned in your question and can confirm that the School Principal is aware of the students situation, as is the NEPS psychologist assigned to the school. The child benefits currently from learning support provided in the school and has been and is the subject of an assessment of need under the Disability Act. I understand also that further action is being pursued with local HSE services in this regard and following resolution of these demands the question of the relevance or appropriateness of an educational psychological assessment can be consider by the school in conjunction with the parents and assigned NEPS psychologist.

Should the parents of the child have any questions or concerns in this regard I would advise that they raise them with the School Principal in the first instance. Should school authorities have specific difficulties with regard any of the foregoing I would suggest that they should contact the assigned NEPS psychologist or relevant local NEPS Regional Director (in this instance NEPS Mullingar Office Tel: 044-9337023) to discuss the matter.