Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 4 Dec 2001

Vol. 545 No. 4

Written Answers. - Psychological Service.

Liam Lawlor

Question:

405 Mr. Lawlor asked the Minister for Education and Science his views on concerns of a school (details supplied) over the payment of psychologists who were commissioned by the school to carry out urgently needed test on four children; his further views on the other concerns itemised by the school authorities in respect of the NEPS; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30604/01]

Minister for Education and Science (Dr. Woods)

The scheme for commissioning psychological assessments has been operating since September 2001. My Department provided funding for this scheme with the main objective of allowing access to psychological assessments for those schools to which the national educational psychological service, NEPS, does not yet offer a service. Schools that have access to the full NEPS service such as the school referred to in the question are allowed to avail of the scheme only under exceptional circumstances. However, I recognise the disadvantaged nature of the catchment area to the school and I have asked NEPS to re-examine this particular instance.

With regard to the other concerns of the school in relation to the NEPS service, the management of NEPS has informed me that the school was one of the first primary schools in the country to have access to my Department's psychological service. It was included in the primary school psychological service pilot project 1990-94, and continued to receive a psychological service after the project had ended.

From 1996 the assigned psychologist was on leave due to illness and subsequently on career break. Due to a backlog of work arising from a number of such absences and the increasing demand for assessments, a project involving contracting of private psychologists to undertake assessments in affected schools was instituted in 1999. This particular school benefited from this project and a number of assessments were carried out there during that period.

The first tranche of new psychologists in NEPS took up their appointments in September 2000 and began work in schools in November 2000. A highly experienced educational psychologist has been appointed to, and has been working in, the school since then. She has provided a full educational psychological service to the school, including a range of development and support activities as well as eight individual psychological assessments. I have no doubt that, as this excellent service continues, the concerns of the school will be met.