Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 6 April 2004
253 Mr. Stagg asked the Minister for Education and Science the number of educational psychologists needed to be employed by the NEPS to ensure that all primary school children receive a service which they require; the net number of additional educational psychologists which will be employed in 2004; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10770/04]
View answerIn 1998, a planning group representative of all the partners in education produced a report for my Department entitled A National Educational Psychological Service. The planning group examined staffing levels of educational psychology services in other jurisdictions and also investigated the likely prevalence of problems for school children that would need psychological intervention.
Arising from its investigations, the planning group estimated that 200 psychologists would be needed in the educational system as a whole in order to meet the needs of children in both primary and post-primary schools. In 1998, there were found to be 16 psychologists working in the city and county of Dublin vocational education committees and in the schools for young offenders, leaving a final total of 184 to be deployed within the national educational psychological service.
The Government accepted the findings of the planning group and recruitment for NEPS began in 1999. At present there are 126 psychologists in NEPS. Four more psychologists will take up employment after Easter 2004, and my Department is currently processing one more offer of employment to be taken up as soon as possible.
