In order to meet the current urgent need for a schools' psychological service in the primary sector, my Department has recruited 15 psychologists who are also qualified primary teachers to take up employment as educational psychologists.
This is a special development project which is being organised by my Department's Psychological Service and will run over three years.
All those who have been appointed possess:
1. recognition as a primary school teacher with at least three years' satisfactory experience in teaching in the primary sector
2. a recognised first or second class honours degree in which psychology was taken as a major subject in the final degree examination or a post-graduate qualification in psychology with first or second class honours
3. ability to communicate effectively in Irish or English and a good knowledge of the other language.
Two of the successful candidates have been assigned to my Department's Cork office, where they are working as part of a team of psychologists. Their recruitment has enabled the Psychological Service to be expanded to include certain schools in East Cork which did not previously have access to the service. These schools are listed below.
The psychologists work normal Civil Service hours. As each psychologist serves a number of schools, there will be limits in terms of the amount of time which can be devoted to each school. It will be necessary, therefore, to identify the main needs in each school, in consultation with the Principal teacher and staff, and to prioritise them. Arising from this consultation, an agreed plan of work will be developed.
