Jennifer Whitmore (Wicklow, Social Democrats)
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264. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills for an update on funding for current educational psychologists (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24832/23]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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A working group in the Department has been examining the matter of how 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.

To address supply issues in the medium to long term a workforce plan for educational psychologists is being developed within the Department of Education and work has begun with other Government Departments to advance this. Officials in my Department liaise regularly with the Department of Health, and with Mary Immaculate College and University College Dublin, and, as this work progresses, will continue to do so and to consult with other stakeholders as appropriate.

As an immediate short-term measure the Department introduced a bursary to support Trainee Educational Psychologists currently in their third year (or third year equivalent) of professional training in University College Dublin (UCD) and Mary Immaculate College (MIC), who expect to graduate in 2023.

Officials in my Department are liaising with Mary Immaculate College and University College Dublin to finalise funding supports for students of the educational psychological doctorate programme who would graduate in 2024, 2025 and 2026 and would be in a position to apply for the next NEPS recruitment competition that takes place in their final year of study and/or subsequent recruitment competitions thereafter.

Recruitment of newly qualified educational psychologists to the HSE would be a matter for the HSE and should be raised with their relevant Minister.