Mick Wallace (Wexford, Independent)
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98. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the average wait times for National Educational Psychological Service assessments in each county in each of the years 2010 to 2016 and to date in 2017; and the number of NEPS psychologists employed in each of the years 2010 to 2016 and to date in 2017 by county, in tabular form. [44103/17]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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I can inform the Deputy that my Department's National Educational Psychological Service provides educational psychological support to all primary and post-primary schools. This involves direct support in the event of a critical incident, access to national and regional support and development work to build school capacity to support students, access to a NEPS psychologist for responses to queries arising, and access to individual pupil casework via a NEPS psychologist or through the Scheme for the Commissioning of Psychological Assessments, (SCPA). Every child therefore has access to educational psychological assessment services either through the NEPS or SCPA psychologist.

NEPS does not maintain waiting lists but, 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 oriented 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 would advise if there are concerns in relation to the educational development of any student that these should be raised, in the first instance, with the Principal of the school he/she is attending, with a view to the Principal discussing the situation with the assigned NEPS psychologist or local NEPS office.

The Deputy will be aware that the Programme for a Partnership Government commits that we will invest additional resources in the National Educational Psychological Service to ensure earlier intervention and access for young children and teenagers and to offer immediate support to schools in cases of critical incidents. Delivery on this commitment is underway in 2017 with an additional eleven NEPS psychologists recruited or in the process of being recruited currently. Additionally my Department, in conjunction with the Public Appointments Service (PAS) has from established regional recruitment panels, been engaged throughout the year in securing recruits to fill vacancies in the NEPS psychologist posts due to ongoing retirement, resignations, etc.

I attach for the Deputy’s information detail of the NEPS psychologist staffing numbers from 2009/10 to date as well as recruitment in train and in prospect in this regard. By way of clarification I would inform the Deputy that NEPS psychologists are assigned across eight Regions and sited in 23 offices countrywide but not on a county basis.

NEPS staffing numbers currently stand at a level which is higher than any stage since the service was established in 1999 and are due to rise further with the immanent recruitment detailed therein.

My Department remains committed to the continued support of NEPS and the valuable services it provides our schools and I am pleased to inform the Deputy that an additional ten educational psychologists will be provided to NEPS in 2018.

Number of NEPS Psychologists by academic year - 2009/10 to date

- Staffing Numbers for previous year are taken at 1st January of that year

- (^) Recruits have agreed start dates.

- (#) The public appointments service has recently processed these recruits and referred them on to the Department's HR Unit for contract negotiations and formal offer. It is expected that these recruits start will be before year's end.

- (&) Two recruits have delayed start date due to maternity leave

- (*) PAS are currently polling the recruitment panels for a recruit