Vol. 488 No. 7
452 Mr. B. Smith asked the Minister for Education and Science if his attention has been drawn to the totally inadequate psychological service available for schools in County Cavan; if educational psychologists will be appointed at an early date to provide an appropriate level of service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7432/98]
I am aware of the necessity for an educational psychological service to be available to all schools, including those in County Cavan, and for the ratio of school pupils to psychologists to allow for the provision of a satisfactory service. The current position is that the Department of Education and Science has one psychologist working in post-primary schools in the area.
However, I have established a planning group to prepare proposals for the development of a national educational psychological service. The work of the planning group is now well advanced and I expect its report to be available to me shortly.
As an interim measure, my Department, in co-operation with Mary Immaculate College of Education in Limerick, is making arrangements for the employment, on three-year contracts, of 15 educational psychologists in order to extend the service at primary school level. The recruitment process has now been completed, and the 15 psychologists are beginning to take up their posts. The needs of children and of schools in County Cavan and in other areas will be borne in mind when the new psychologists are being deployed.
