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Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 31 Jan 2002

Vol. 547 No. 2

Other Questions. - Psychological Service.

Michael Creed

Question:

6 Mr. Creed asked the Minister for Education and Science the reason for the delay in the full roll-out of the school psychological service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2856/02]

The planning group that prepared proposals for the National Educational Psychological Service agency, NEPS, recommended an overall target of 200 psychologists and 36 administrative-secretarial staff. It also recommended that this target should be achieved over five years beginning during the school year 1999-2000. The Government made a decision in early 1999 that these recommendations should be implemented.

I launched the new NEPS in May 2000 with the 43 psychologists already employed in my Department. The recruitment of additional psychologists involved the organisation of competitions through the Civil Service and Local Appointments Commission. Notwithstanding the time-consuming nature of such competitions, there are now almost 100 psychologists deployed in the education sector. The Civil Service Commission is at the interview stage for the recruitment of additional psychologists to NEPS. It is envisaged that many of them will be in the post by the end of this school year.

I also announced recently that arrangements are being made to enable the full complement of 200 NEPS psychologists to be appointed within the next 12 months. The process of bringing NEPS up to full strength has, therefore, been accelerated and will reach 200 by the end of this year, two years ahead of schedule.

How many have been recruited?

Just under 100, but more are being recruited.

I remind the Minister of a reply he gave to a question from me on Tuesday, 20 March 2001 when he said he expected by the end of that calendar year to have 128 psychologists in the NEPS. He said now there is just under 100. The Minister is failing to meet the targets he set himself and which he gave in information to the House on 20 March 2001. Does the Minister accept that in many cases when a pupil with a specific learning disability enrols in September the school seeks a psychological evaluation but it does not take place for a number of months? The student then becomes disruptive in class, the education of other children is disrupted and the psychological service is entirely unavailable. Affluent parents can access the service of a psychologist privately. In the interim until the NEPS is operational, will the Minister ensure that in any case where the service is not available to a school which seeks it, the Department will cover the cost of a private assessment?

Interviews have been in progress since before Christmas for the appointment of 28 psychologists. This will add up to a figure of 128. The process is slow.

When I sought additional funds on an interim basis the Government agreed to provide them. The funds are being provided through the NEPS, which makes the arrangements for the interviews. It has proved difficult to recruit psychologists in a number of regions. This might be causing the difficulty described by Deputy Creed. I am told the NEPS makes the arrangements and the money is available for it.

We all accept that the service is not adequate. I accept that the Minister is trying to put the service in place as soon as possible. In the interim, will he meet the financial cost of private assessments for students who cannot access the public service?

Since the last time we discussed this question has the Minister made any attempt to co-ordinate the efforts of his Department with those of the Department of Health and Children? There is an overlap but there appears to be no co-operation between the two Departments.

The Minister briefly alluded to recruitment difficulties. Does he accept there is very little chance of recruiting 100 additional psychologists between now and the end of this year? Has he satisfied himself that the Higher Education Authority is ensuring that adequate training places are being provided to fill the projected need for psychologists?

Guidelines for the scheme for commissioning psychological assessments from private practitioners were issued by the NEPS to the principals of all primary and post-primary schools in August 2001. The NEPS is running the scheme. I have provided the money to cover the cost of private assessments. If Deputy Creed is getting the response he has described, something is clearly not working.

The Minister can say that again.

This is a whole new system. There are two difficulties. We must recruit adequate numbers of psychologists for the new service while providing, in the interim, for private assessments. The private assessments are provided through the NEPS. If Deputies know of cases where the scheme is not working I will examine them to discover why that is.

The Minister did not answer my question regarding co-operation between his Department and the Department of Health and Children.

This scheme is wholly our own. There is co-operation in other areas.

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