Jim Higgins
Question:503 Mr. Higgins (Mayo) asked the Minister for Education and Science the reason for the failure to provide a psychological service for a person (details supplied) in County Mayo. [23036/01]
Written Answers. - Psychological Service.
I am happy to inform the Deputy that a new psychologist from NEPS has been assigned to the school in question and will be in situ by mid-November.
As outlined in my reply of 3 July 2001 to the Deputy, due to unforeseen circumstances, the psychologist from the national educational psychological service was unable to visit the school during the summer term as planned. A regional director from NEPS has contacted the school and has advised the principal to arrange the assessment through the scheme which I recently announced, whereby pupils in need of assessment in schools not yet receiving a service from NEPS can have the assessment carried out privately by any one of the psychologists on the approved list drawn up by NEPS. I understand that the principal has availed of this scheme and has arranged a private assessment for the named pupil.