I propose to take Questions Nos. 623 to 648, inclusive, together.
The Deputy will be aware that all primary and post-primary schools have access to psychological assessments, directly through my Department's National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) or through the Scheme for Commissioning Psychological Assessments, which is administered and paid for by NEPS. For the Deputy's information, the first table that follows this reply sets out the number of primary schools, by county, to which a NEPS psychologist was assigned, or which had access to the Scheme for Commissioning Psychological Assessments, in the past academic year. Since the beginning of June, and predominantly since 1 September 2008, some 21 psychologists have been appointed to the NEPS service. Each has been appointed to a specific NEPS office and will, following the requisite period of induction and work-shadowing, be assigned a full complement of schools. It is intended that NEPS will assess the effect of the assignment of these new staff, in the context of national coverage, at the end of the first term of 2008-09, at which time an up-to-date county by county breakdown will be forwarded to the Deputy. The second table that follows this reply also contains a breakdown of the number of assessments commissioned by primary schools under the Scheme for Commissioning Psychological Assessments in each county for 2006 and 2007.
2007-08 Breakdown by County of NEPS Service to Primary Schools
County
|
Total Schools
|
No.of Schools with NEPs Psychologist
|
No. with SCPA
|
Carlow
|
42
|
11
|
31
|
Cavan
|
78
|
39
|
39
|
Clare
|
119
|
55
|
64
|
Cork
|
365
|
167
|
198
|
Donegal
|
178
|
58
|
120
|
Dublin
|
476
|
355
|
121
|
Galway
|
240
|
166
|
74
|
Kerry
|
142
|
58
|
84
|
Kildare
|
103
|
79
|
24
|
Kilkenny
|
78
|
15
|
63
|
Laois
|
70
|
20
|
50
|
Leitrim
|
41
|
18
|
23
|
Limerick
|
148
|
78
|
70
|
Longford
|
39
|
12
|
27
|
Louth
|
74
|
36
|
38
|
Mayo
|
178
|
119
|
59
|
Meath
|
111
|
73
|
38
|
Monaghan
|
64
|
37
|
27
|
Offaly
|
65
|
32
|
33
|
Roscommon
|
95
|
90
|
5
|
Sligo
|
68
|
22
|
46
|
Tipperary
|
164
|
64
|
100
|
Waterford
|
77
|
36
|
41
|
Westmeath
|
78
|
14
|
64
|
Wexford
|
106
|
70
|
36
|
Wicklow
|
85
|
64
|
21
|
|
3,284
|
1,788
|
1,496
|
Number of Assessments Commissioned under Scheme for Commissioning Psychological Assessments
County
|
No. Assessments 2006
|
No. Assessments 2007
|
Carlow
|
51
|
72
|
Cavan
|
69
|
63
|
Clare
|
87
|
104
|
Cork
|
374
|
429
|
Donegal
|
227
|
240
|
Dublin
|
650
|
551
|
Galway
|
103
|
134
|
Kerry
|
124
|
167
|
Kildare
|
200
|
213
|
Kilkenny
|
122
|
101
|
Laois
|
45
|
128
|
Leitrim
|
28
|
27
|
Limerick
|
305
|
225
|
Longford
|
42
|
58
|
Louth
|
80
|
127
|
Mayo
|
71
|
76
|
Meath
|
132
|
108
|
Monaghan
|
21
|
51
|
Offaly
|
23
|
107
|
Roscommon
|
45
|
58
|
Sligo
|
54
|
54
|
Tipperary
|
172
|
189
|
Waterford
|
83
|
80
|
Westmeath
|
105
|
149
|
Wexford
|
144
|
61
|
Wicklow
|
88
|
76
|
|
3,445
|
3,648
|