Written answers

Tuesday, 15 October 2019

Department of Education and Skills

National Educational Psychological Service Data

Photo of Catherine MartinCatherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party)
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230. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of assessments completed under the scheme for the commissioning of psychological assessments for the 2018-19 academic year for which the certification of completion of assessment forms has been submitted by school principals between 4 September 2018 and 30 September 2019; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42192/19]

Photo of Joe McHughJoe McHugh (Donegal, 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).

Access to SCPA is afforded to schools where a dedicated NEPS psychologist is temporarily not available due to vacancies arising from retirement or resignation or circumstances such as maternity leave, etc. My Department maintains a panel of private practitioners under the scheme and pays a fee of €304 per assessment upon certification of a satisfactory delivery from school authorities. Private practitioners must satisfy a number of requirements for membership of the SCPA panel including qualification to carry out the required educational psychological assessments. Currently there are 54 private practitioners listed on my Department’s website on the SCPA panel.

In answer to the Deputy’s specific question in the matter, I can inform her that some 2,061 assessments were certified by school principals under the scheme in the period 4thSeptember 2018 to 30thSeptember 2019.

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