Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 18 May 1999

Vol. 504 No. 7

Written Answers. - Psychological Service.

Seán Barrett

Question:

35 Mr. Barrett asked the Minister for Education and Science if his attention has been drawn to the fact that many students are rationed in the number of psychological assessments which they can have carried out; and if he will make funds available to permit these assessments to be obtained privately if the public service cannot cope. [12805/99]

Minister for Education and Science (Mr. Martin)

My Department provides a psychological service at present to all second level schools and to approximately 725 primary schools. Each psychologist is assigned a number of schools and endeavours to divide available time equitably between them. In the primary sector, particularly, psychologists indicate to school principals the likely number of visits to the school that may be undertaken during the current school year. It can happen, therefore, in some schools, that the number of children being presented for assessment may be too great to be dealt with during the allocated time.

However, an important part of the psychologists work is to assist principals and teachers to develop procedures for screening, identifying and prioritising those students who are most in need of help. In this way, the psychologist is able to estimate the numbers of students in each school who may need psychological intervention. This may lead to adjustments in the amount of time that is allocated to each.

It should also be noted that the assessment of children is only one part of the psychologist's work. Some schools may consider that other needs are more urgent and may prefer to use the psychologist's time in a different way for example, by their assistance in the development of remedial programmes, or anti-bullying programmes.

The situation in relation to psychological assessments is kept under review by the management of the psychological service so that appropriate action may be taken if there is a serious difficulty about meeting the needs. A review of demand this year led to the conclusion that there would not be sufficient time available before the summer break to assess certain students whose needs were urgent. My Department therefore has invited tenders from qualified psychologists to carry out a number of psychological assessments. A number of contract psychologists have begun carrying out assessments in all areas of the country. It is expected that nearly 200 additional psychological assessments of students already referred to the psychological service will have been completed by the end of June.

My Department will continue to monitor demand for and the availability of psychologists to carry out assessments. I do not consider it appropriate at this time to make additional funds available for assessment. However the Government has decided to make a major commitment to the development of psychological services for Irish schools. One of my key priorities as Minister has been the establishment of a national educational psychological service agency, to be available to all schools at both levels. On Thursday, 11 February, I announced Government approval for the establishment of the agency within my Department. It will be solely dedicated to providing an accessible and readily available psychological service to schools at both levels. Financial provision has now been made for the first two years of a five-year implementation phase. At the end of the five-year period, it is envisaged that every school in the country will have access to a school's psychological service.

The Civil Service Commission has begun the process of recruiting 25 additional psychologists, who should take up their appointments in the agency during the school year 1999-2000. It is intended that further recruitment will take place in the year 2000. These new appointments will make a significant improvement in the availability of psychological support to schoolchildren.