John Paul O'Shea (Cork North-West, Fine Gael)
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551. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the process of referring a primary school pupil to an educational psychologist for assessment; if there is a certain number of referrals allocated to each school; if part of the criteria is that the child needs to be a certain age before referral can be made; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29522/25]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) provides psychological support to all primary, post-primary, and special schools. There are currently 234 whole time equivalent psychologists providing a service across the country.

NEPS provides access for all schools to:

Psychological support in the event of a Critical Incident;

A casework service for individual students 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);

A school staff Support and Development Service, to build school capability to provide a comprehensive continuum of support in schools; and

Ongoing access to advice and support for schools.

NEPS does not operate wait lists. At the beginning of each year psychologists meet with the school principal and/or the Special Education Teaching Team to review and plan based on the schools priority needs. Further planning meetings may happen again during the course of the school year based on the size and needs of the school. This process allows the schools to be responsive and to prioritise those pupils identified by them as having the highest level of need.

NEPS psychologists work with schools using a problem-solving model to help schools identify need and implement interventions to support those needs. As part of this model, NEPS encourages schools to use a continuum-based assessment and intervention process whereby each school takes responsibility for initial assessment, educational planning and intervention support for children and young people with wellbeing, learning and/or social-emotional needs.