Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats)
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215. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will consider funding all trainee educational psychologists, as has recently been announced for trainee counselling psychologists; the reason that only a cohort of third-year students will receive some funding; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53983/22]

Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats)
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216. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the timeline that she is working towards for holding interviews to provide financial support to students of educational psychology currently on training placements in the National Educational Psychological Service, who are due to complete their doctoral training programme in 2023; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53984/22]

Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein)
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225. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if the contribution provided for final-year trainee educational psychologists this year will be put on a permanent footing for all final-year students; and if it is her Department's intention to make State contributions to trainee educational psychologists contingent on said students committing to working for a fixed term for her Department or the HSE in the future. [54069/22]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 215, 216 and 225 together.

The National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) of my Department provides a school-based psychological service to all recognised primary and post-primary schools through the application of psychological theory and practice to support the well-being, and the academic, social and emotional development of all learners.

A working group in the Department has been examining the matter of how the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) can continue to recruit adequate numbers of suitably qualified staff and continue to respond to the educational psychological needs of children in recognised primary and post-primary schools across the country.

The group has agreed on a number of actions that must be taken to address supply issues in the medium to long term. These include the development of a workforce plan for educational psychologists within the Department of Education and work has begun with other Government Departments to advance this.

A number of options were considered to address some immediate supply issues. Following analysis of these, it was decided that the Department would use some available NEPS funding to sponsor a cohort of third year students of the Educational Psychology Doctoral programme in University College Dublin (UCD) and Mary Immaculate College (MIC) University of Limerick, for the academic year 2022/23 by providing a contribution towards their fees and associated expenses. The workforce planning group referred to above will be asked to make some interim recommendations in Q2 of next year regarding any other short-term measures required in advance of their final report. It is envisaged that funding supports for students on the educational psychological doctorate programme will be considered as part of this process.

In the interim, given the particular time pressures for students in third year of the programme, interviews will be held in the coming months to provide financial support to those students of Educational Psychology, currently on training placements in NEPS who are due to complete their doctoral training programme in 2023. Details will be made available in the coming weeks.