Vol. 535 No. 1
628 Mr. O'Shea asked the Minister for Education and Science if, further to Parliamentary Question No. 321 of 10 April 2001, he will indicate the proposals he has to provide the additional three educational psychologists necessary to provide service to all primary schools in County Waterford; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11714/01]
As stated in the previous reply, two NEPS psychologists have now been assigned to work exclusively in County Waterford. They have already begun work in schools.
Following the Government decision in 1999 to establish NEPS, a programme of recruitment for NEPS was immediately organised through the Civil Service and Local Appointments Commission in 1999. A panel of qualified educational psychologists was established in 2000. Thirty-one of these psychologists have taken up their posts and the 22 remaining psychologists from the panel are receiving their offers of employment and are taking up their posts.
This school year the number of psychologists has been increased by 58 to 100 and a further 28 will be recruited before next Christmas. This will bring the total to 128, and the total will be brought to 200 as soon as possible.
The management committee of NEPS has recommended that each cohort of newly recruited psychologists should be divided equitably among the regions, according to the projected student numbers in each. On this basis, the targets for County Waterford are as follows: end 2001 – three psychologists; end 2002 – four psychologists; end 2003 – five psychologists. Achievement of these targets will depend upon factors such as the availability of suitably qualified psychologists in the region.
