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Psychological Service.

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 4 July 2006

Tuesday, 4 July 2006

Questions (738, 739, 740)

Olwyn Enright

Question:

751 Ms Enright asked the Minister for Education and Science the number of primary school children awaiting an assessment from the National Educational Psychological Service; the average waiting time for such an assessment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26385/06]

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Olwyn Enright

Question:

752 Ms Enright asked the Minister for Education and Science the number of post-primary schoolchildren awaiting an assessment from the National Educational Psychological Service; the average waiting time for such an assessment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26386/06]

View answer

Bernard J. Durkan

Question:

769 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Education and Science her plans to improve the availability of educational psychologists, speech and language therapists, occupational therapists or other support services to all schools throughout the country; if her attention has been drawn to the long waiting lists for such services at present; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26459/06]

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Written answers

I propose to take Questions Nos. 751, 752 and 769 together.

All primary and post primary schools have access to psychological assessments either directly through my Department's National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) or through the Scheme for Commissioning Psychological Assessments (SCPA) that is administered by NEPS and full details of which are available on my Department's website.

NEPS does not keep waiting lists for assessments of children but in common with other psychological services encourages a staged assessment process, whereby each school takes responsibility for initial assessment, educational planning and remedial intervention, in consultation with their assigned NEPS psychologist. Only if there is a failure to make reasonable progress in spite of the school's best efforts, will a child be referred for individual psychological assessment. This system allows the psychologists to give early attention to urgent cases and also to help many more children indirectly than could be seen individually.

Children who manifest very special or urgent needs in school and who have not been previously assessed by a psychologist and are brought to the attention of a NEPS psychologist by the Principal teacher will usually be assessed by the psychologist within that school term. Normally, principals of schools prioritise those children in need of psychological assessment in consultation with the assigned psychologist.

In the case of schools that do not currently have dedicated NEPS psychologists assigned to them, as I already mentioned, such schools have access to educational psychological assessments through the SCPA. Under this Scheme, schools can commission assessments from a member of the panel of private practitioners approved by NEPS, and NEPS will pay the fees directly to the psychologist concerned.

NEPS provides assistance to all schools and school communities that experience critical incidents, regardless of whether or not they have a NEPS psychologist assigned to them. Also, in relation to all schools, NEPS processes applications for Reasonable Accommodation in Certificate Examinations and responds to queries in relation to individual children from other sections of my Department and from the specialist agencies.

Since the establishment of the NEPS in 1999, the number of NEPS psychologists has increased from 43 to 122 at present. The Public Appointments Service has concluded a new recruitment competition for the appointment of Educational Psychologists to NEPS. Regional panels have been established to allow my Department give greater priority in filling vacancies to areas with the greatest need. It is expected that a further 9 psychologists will be in place before the end of 2006.

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