Vol. 524 No. 2
443 Ms McManus asked the Minister for Education and Science if he will put arrangements in place to ensure that all children who need educational psychological assessment receive it in view of the refusal of the ECHB to carry out such assessment for children in County Wicklow; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22290/00]
I am aware that some health boards have withdrawn from providing educational psychological assessments for school children. The management committee of the national educational psychological service – NEPS – consists of representatives of my Department and of the Department of Health and Children and this matter has been raised at management committee meetings. In response, the committee has established a working group, consisting of representatives of NEPS and of the health boards, to examine procedures for making and responding to referrals and will make every effort to arrive at a joint strategy to ensure that no area is left without psychological assessment services.
The national educational psychological service is also carrying out a pilot project aimed at developing a strategy for responding to requests for urgent psychological assessments. This project will be completed early in the new year and it is hoped that its findings will help NEPS to meet urgent demands in an appropriate way.
