Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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276. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will allocate additional educational assessments for dyspraxia to primary schools, given that the waiting list for pupils in County Donegal to get assessments carried out followed by a diagnosis is very long, causing parents to have to go private; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9719/16]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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By way of information I can inform the Deputy that my Department over the course of the recent economic difficulties has not only maintained the psychologist staffing levels within NEPS but increased them by some 10% since 2008.

I can inform the Deputy that my Department's National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) provides educational psychology service to all primary and post primary schools through an assigned NEPS psychologist and in some cases through the Scheme for Commissioning Psychological Assessments (SCPA), full details of which are on the Department's website. Under this scheme 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.

In common with many other psychological services and best international practice, NEPS has adopted a consultative model of service. The focus is on empowering teachers to intervene effectively with pupils whose needs range from mild to severe and transient to enduring. Psychologists use a problem solving and solution focused consultative approach to maximize positive outcomes for these pupils. NEPS encourages schools to use a continuum based assessment and intervention process whereby each school takes responsibility for initial assessment, educational planning and remedial intervention for pupils with learning, emotional or behavioural difficulties. Teachers may consult their NEPS psychologist should they need to at this stage in the process. Only in the event of a failure to make reasonable progress, in spite of the school's best efforts in consultation with NEPS, will the psychologist become involved with an individual child for intensive intervention or assessment.

This system allows 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.

I can inform the Deputy that the formal diagnosis of Dyspraxia falls within the province of local HSE clinical services with NEPS psychologists providing advice to parents and school authorities as to the appropriate referral path.

I would advise that where there are concerns in relation to the educational development of pupils including those referred to in Deputy's question these should be raised by their parents/guardians, in the first instance, with the Principal of the relevant school(s), with a view to the Principal discussing the situation with the assigned NEPS psychologist.