Vol. 497 No. 4
173 Mr. O'Shea asked the Minister for Education and Science if his attention has been drawn to the fact that there were no educational referrals in the Waterford area for psychological assessment in the 1997-8 school year; the proposals, if any, he has to rectify the absence of any educational psychological service in Waterford; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25263/98]
An educational psychological service is provided to second level schools in the city and county of Waterford. Each of these schools is assigned to one of two psychologists employed by my Department. During, the 1997-8 school year, 40 referrals for psychological assessment for mainly educational reasons were made to them.
However, my Department is, as yet, not providing an educational psychological service to primary schools in County Waterford. This explains the fact that no educational referrals were made by primary schools to my Department's psychological service during the school year in question. However, it is possible that such referrals may have been made to psychologists employed by the South-Eastern Health Board or by other agencies.
One of my key priorities as Minister is the establishment of a national educational psychological service, to be available to all schools at both levels. On 15 September last, I launched and endorsed the report of the planning group, which has prepared recommendations for me on how a national educational psychological service may best be introduced. Subject to the approval of Government, implementation of the report will begin in 1999. It is my intention that there will be an educational psychological service available to all schools by the end of the five-year implementation phase.
I am aware that there are inevitably many schools in the country which do not yet have access to my Department's psychological service, including some with considerable numbers of disadvantaged pupils. Attention will be paid to the needs of such priority areas as the psychological service is expanded.
