Vol. 502 No. 5
88 Mr. Stagg asked the Minister for Education and Science if his Department has recruited 25 additional psychologists; if he will sanction the appointment of a psychologist to cover the remainder of the schools in north County Kildare which have no service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8652/99]
My Department has begun the process of recruiting 25 additional psychologists, who should take up their appointments during the school year 1999-2000. They will work under the aegis of the National Educational Psychological Service Agency, which I shall shortly be establishing.
This is the first phase of a five year expansion of psychological services to schools. This expansion must take place in an orderly manner to allow, for example, the induction and professional supervision of new staff. For this reason, it will not be possible to make the service immediately available to all schools. However, it is my intention that, at the end of the five year period, every school in the country will have access to an educational psychological service.
In order to be able to set priorities for the expansion of the psychological service, my Department is currently carrying out a careful examination of the particular needs of each county and of existing provision in each for psychological services. Information about schools in all parts of the country, including those in north County Kildare, is being taken into account in setting the priorities.
