Vol. 515 No. 6
290 Mr. Wall asked the Minister for Education and Science if he has satisfied himself with the psychological services structure within his Department; if his Department will investigate facilities where psychologists will visit national schools to carry out assessments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6709/00]
The National Educational Psychological Service – NEPS – will be organised in ten regions, corresponding to the health board regions. As soon as new psychologists are in post, the first priority will be to fill those vacancies caused by resignations and career breaks. After that, assignment of psychologists will be made in the most transparent and fair way possible.
The overall allocation of psychologists to the regions will be largely based on the projected student numbers in each. In the interests of equity, it is proposed that each cohort of psychologists will be shared among the regions on a pro rata basis, until each region has reached its target staffing quota.
Within each region, priorities for expansion will be informed by the results of a survey of each county, currently being undertaken by the NEPS psychologists. Among other things, they are looking at evidence of disadvantage, incidence of special needs and the level of access to other psychological services. Letters and submissions on behalf of particular schools and areas that have been sent to NEPS will be included in the survey as evidence of need. The local availability of facilities for psychologists carrying out assessments will also be considered.
I hope that, in the near future, NEPS will be able to present a draft "roll-out" plan to the National Policy Advisory Board. All the main client groups and other providers of psychological services are represented on the board and will therefore be able to contribute to the discussions on the draft plan.
291 Mr. Wall asked the Minister for Education and Science the number of educational psychologists in his Department; if he has satisfied himself that this number meets the demand for these services; if not, the plans, if any, he has to rectify the problem; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6710/00]
There are currently 43 educational psychologists in the National Educational Psychological Service – NEPS – agency of my Department. I am aware that this number does not meet the demand for these services. However, improvement and expansion of the service offered by NEPS will begin when additional psychologists are in place. The Civil Service and Local Appointments Commission has now completed the process of selecting additional suitably qualified psychologists, who will take up their posts in two stages. It is hoped that the first group will begin to take up their posts during the current school term.
I anticipate that, by the end of the year 2000, nearly 100 psychologists will be in post. This is half the eventual target of 200 psychologists, who should be in post by the end of the development phase of NEPS (end of 2004). Nonetheless, once the numbers currently being recruited are in post, there should be a marked improvement in the level of service being offered by NEPS across the country.
292 Mr. Wall asked the Minister for Education and Science the number of psychologists assigned to the Kildare constituency; if he has satisfied himself that this number meets the needs for this service; the number of applications for assessment in Kildare in each of the years from 1997 to 1999; if there is a waiting list for these services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6711/00]
There are currently three psychologists assigned to County Kildare. At second level, all students needing assessment were assessed in the years referred to by the Deputy. The numbers assessed in each year were as follows:
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1997 |
1998 |
1999 |
