John Connolly (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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398. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills to provide the number of NEPS psychologists employed in each NEPS local office throughout the country; the number of primary and secondary schools serviced by each office; and the number of psychological assessments undertaken by each office in the 2023/2024 academic year, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25087/25]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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I would like to thank Deputy Connolly for his question regarding my Department’s National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS).

NEPS provides educational psychological support to all primary, post-primary, and special schools.

The NEPS service provides access for all schools to:

• psychological support in the event of a Critical Incident,
• a casework service for individual children where there is a need for intensive consultation and assessment via a NEPS psychologist or through the Scheme for the Commissioning of Psychological Assessments (SCPA),
• the School Staff Support and Development Service, to build school capability to provide a comprehensive continuum of support in schools,
• ongoing access to advice and support for schools, and
• an advisory service to schools where a psychologist is not available due to a vacancy.

John Connolly (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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399. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills to provide the number of psychological assessments undertaken through the scheme for commissioning psychological assessments sanctioned by each NEPS local office in the 2023/2024 academic year, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25088/25]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy may be aware, 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 the cost is covered by the Department.

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. Private practitioners must satisfy a number of requirements to be included on the SCPA panel . Currently there are 59 private practitioners on the SCPA panel.

SCPA assessments are sanctioned on a regional basis. I attach for the Deputies information, the number of psychological assessments carried out per region for the 2023/2024 academic year.

John Connolly (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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400. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of educational psychologists on the current scheme for commissioning psychological assessments list; the minimum educational qualification required for a participating psychologist to be considered for inclusion on the list; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25089/25]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy may be aware, the Scheme for the Commissioning of Psychological Assessments (SCPA) is provided by the Department to assist in the delivery of a psychological service to all schools. The scheme provides funding to schools to commission individual psychological assessments for students from psychologists working in a private capacity. The costs are met by the Department.

The scheme is not a substitute for a full educational psychological service of the sort provided by NEPS. It is an interim measure intended to supplement the NEPS service and meet current urgent needs for psychological assessment of children and young people. The operation of the scheme is reviewed on an ongoing basis by NEPS.

There are currently 59 educational psychologists on the SCPA panel.

To be considered for inclusion on the SCPA panel, applicants must satisfy the below:

1. that they are a Registered or Chartered Psychologist (or the equivalent), with five years of relevant, supervised experience;

OR

2. that they hold a professional post-graduate qualification in Educational Psychology recognised by the Psychological Society of Ireland (PSI) or have a Statement of Equivalence or have been deemed eligible to meet the criteria for a Statement of Equivalence in Educational Psychology by PSI;

OR

3. that they hold a professional post-graduate qualification in Psychology, recognised by PSI, or have a Statement of Equivalence or have been deemed eligible to meet the criteria for a Statement of Equivalence in this area by PSI, plus two years of relevant, supervised experience;

OR

4. that they have previously been employed as an Educational Psychologist by NEPS;

AND

• that they are graduate members of an appropriate professional body (e.g. the Psychological Society of Ireland (PSI) or the British Psychological Society (BPS)).

• that they receive relevant professional supervision for work completed as part of the Scheme for Commissioning of Psychological Assessments.

• that they adhere to the PSI Code of Professional Ethics (2011), and to the PSI Guidelines – Confidentiality and Record Keeping in Practice (2022).

• that they have successfully completed the Garda vetting process via NEPS.

• that they have provided a Tax Clearance Access Number (obtainable from the Revenue Commissioners) and a PPSN.

• that they have completed the ‘Introduction to Children First’ E-Learning Programme and accept t their responsibilities as a mandated person under the Children First Act, 2015.