Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 12 Feb 2002

Vol. 548 No. 2

Written Answers. - Psychological Service.

Róisín Shortall

Question:

391 Ms Shortall asked the Minister for Education and Science the reason, further to Parliamentary Question No. 28 of 31 January 2002, in assessing schools for funding, the scheme is not available to schools which have had more than 2% of pupils assessed; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that this discriminates against schools in disadvantaged areas where a far higher percentage of students would require psychological intervention; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4106/02]

Minister for Education and Science (Dr. Woods)

Since 1999, my Department allocates resources as an automatic entitlement to primary school children with disabilities. In many cases, the existence of a disability is determined by means of a psychological assessment. The National Educational Psychological Service Agency of my Department is gradually expanding in a phased and orderly manner.

In order to cater for pupils in schools not yet covered by NEPS, I announced funding last June for the scheme for commissioning psychological assessments. As I stated in my reply on 31 January, the number of assessments per school is determined by the number of pupils, to a maximum of two per 100 pupils enrolled. The first reason for this is to allow all the eligible schools to have initial access to the available funding. The second reason is that the incidence of children with defined disabilities is comparatively stable across all socio-economic groups. The NEPS management team is currently reviewing the operation of the scheme and will report to me on any adjustments that might be appropriate.

I am aware that there are children in schools who need access to extra educational, including psychological, support. My Department has provided a range of other schemes to meet their needs, particularly in disadvantaged areas. The needs of disadvantaged children have been given a high priority in planning the expansion of NEPS. NEPS is currently developing a database that will enable its management team to ascertain which schools have a higher level of need and will therefore require a higher level of psychological intervention.