Vol. 518 No. 4
126 Mr. Naughten asked the Minister for Education and Science the reason for the delay in appointing educational psychologists; the total number which he intends to employ; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11750/00]
The Civil Service and Local Appointments Commission is currently completing the process of selecting suitably qualified candidates for appointment to the position of psychologist in the National Educational Psychological Services Agency in accordance with section 17 of the Civil Service Commissioners Act. My Department will make offers of appointment to successful candidates in the near future.
My Department expects to be in a position to appoint up to 50 additional psychologists during the current year, which will double the present number of psychologists in the National Educational Psychological Service Agency.
The planning group set up by my Department in 1997 to examine the level of need for the educational psychological service and to make recommendations for the future, recommended that 200 psychologists would be required to provide a psychological service to all schools. As recommended in the report of the planning group, it is envisaged that there will be a fully operational psychological service to all schools at the end of a five-year development phase, that is, by the end of the year 2004.
