Vol. 562 No. 3
7 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Education and Science the degree to which NEPS psychologists are not being replaced; the measures needed to ensure full scrutiny of the psychological services; and his plans to ensure that a sufficient number of psychologists are employed to meet the needs of all schools. [5880/03]
The planning group that prepared proposals for the national educational psychological service, NEPS, agency recommended an overall target number of 200 psychologists, of whom approximately 180 would be in NEPS and the remainder elsewhere in the educational system. The planning group also recommended that this target should be achieved over a period of five years, beginning during the school year 1999-2000. The Government made a decision in early 1999 that these recommendations should be implemented. The new NEPS agency came into existence on 1 September 1999 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 120 psychologists in NEPS. The Civil Service and Local Government Commissioners have established a panel of psychologists who were successful in the most recent competition. Thirty seven of these psychologists have entered the service since September 2002. My Department has made provision in the Estimates for the employment of the psychologists who remain on the panel. It is hoped these will all be in the post before the end of 2003. If NEPS psychologists leave for any reason, they are automatically replaced from the panel. The planning group for NEPS envisaged that all schools would have access to the NEPS service by the end of the five year development period and my Department intends, subject to availability of resources, to attain this target.
With regard to measures to ensure full scrutiny of the psychological services, these range from measures generally used in the public service, such as financial audits, business planning and performance management and development to measures that NEPS has itself introduced, such as professional supervision, feedback from clients and instruments for self-evaluation.
Does the Minister suggest a similar approach will be taken to that for Garda places where the number of people required will be recruited through a five year plan rather than fast-tracking recruitment because it is urgent? Is the Minister aware that many schools, such as St. Mologa's in Balbriggan, would love to meet him to outline their position? Vacancies are not being filled. Is he aware there is a wider problem in that not enough psychologists are being trained in Ireland? If people study abroad, they are more likely to stay there. Is he further aware of the need to offer more attractive packages to ensure there are greater numbers on the panel because if someone on the panel is offered a job, he or she may not take it? There is a need for psychologists in a number of schools in my constituency and if there are vacancies, they should be filled. Does he agree there is a reason for them not being filled?
I do not have much to add to my reply. There is a plan in place. It was agreed by the planning group that 200 psychologists were needed and there were 43 in place when the plan was rolled out. The target is to have the 200 in place by 2005. The panel is there and psychologists are replaced as vacancies arise. However, the Deputy is correct that psychologists cannot be on call at all times. If an individual leaves the service, the panel is immediately invoked and it will be maintained and refreshed. We expect that almost 150 of the 200 psychologists will have been appointed by the end of the year. That is as close as we can get to fast-tracking.
Will the Minister give a commitment that when schools, parents and children are informed, following a review by a psychologist, that no resources are to be provided, even though in many cases the psychologist will say they should be, they will be paid the courtesy of being given a full report on why that is the case, as opposed to reading from a single sheet that no resources are being provided because of a spurious circular?
Has a change been made recently whereby schools not covered by NEPS are permitted to carry out a specific number of psychological assessments privately and when they exceed that number, they must pay for them? Is it correct that there are cases where in the professional opinion of a psychologist a child is in need of support services and, subsequently, a professional departmental official has decided the opinion is wrong? It has been brought to my attention that the professional opinion of a psychologist has been overturned by a departmental decision and children are subsequently being refused services.
Without being given a reason.
The procedure has not been changed. With regard to the criteria under which special needs assistants and resource teachers are appointed, there has been greater scrutiny in the recent past of the assessments that have been carried out to ensure they conform to the terms of the circular.
They have been tightened up.
Deputy Stanton raised at the Joint Committee on Education and Science the question of 12% of students in our schools having special needs, which had been brought to the Department's attention some time previously. We are addressing that problem. On average 3% of students have special needs in most schools in the developed world.
I did not ask the Minister to cut the rate.
We are not cutting it. All we are doing is ensuring the terms of the circular are adhered to by the psychologists.
The Minister is being too rigid. He was flexible previously but now he is being rigid. He should at least tell the children why they are not being given resources.
What is the value of the professional opinion of the psychologist—
We must proceed to the next question. The Minister should be allowed to conclude his reply.
The value of the opinions is that if the psychologists stick to assessing the children on the basis of the circular and the criteria laid down, there will be no difficulty in terms of providing resources for the children. If they stray from the terms of the circular, there will be a difficulty.
It is a case of one toe over the line.
I call Question No. 8.
Deputy Stanton highlighted this issue.
There is a problem, which the Minister is not addressing. The Minister should get his spin doctors to spin the other way. Do not turn it around and blame me.
We are dealing with Question No. 8.
I am not trying to blame the Deputy
There is a problem and it is the Minister's job to address it.
I have addressed it.
The Minister has not. He is cutting back and he is trying to blame the Opposition.
I am not.
I call Question No. 8.
I am addressing the question raised by the Deputy.
The Minister is not doing so and meanwhile children suffer. He does not have the good manners to tell them why they are not being given resources.
