Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 15 January 2014
197. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will address the situation where there is currently no child psychologist at Scoil Cormac in Cashel; if his attention has been drawn to the difficulties the lack of access to a child psychologist is presenting; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55471/13]
View answerI wish to advise the Deputy that all primary and post primary schools have access to educational psychological assessments either directly through the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS), or through the Scheme for Commissioning Psychological Assessments (SCPA), full details of which are on the Department's website. Where a NEPS psychologist is not assigned to a school, authorities therein may access psychological assessments through SCPA. Under this scheme schools can have an assessment carried out by a member of the panel of private psychologists approved by NEPS, and NEPS will pay the psychologist the fees for this assessment directly. I have made enquiries in relation to the school in question and understand that psychological service has been to date provided to the school through the HSE NEPS does not have a psychologist assigned to the school and the facility of SCPA is available through NEPS to Scoil Cormac. If school authorities have specific queries with regard to this matter I would suggest that they should contact the relevant NEPS Regional Director (in this instance the NEPS Mid-Munster Office 021- 4536358).
