I propose to take Questions Nos. 287 and 288 together.
The Deputy will be aware that my Department's National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) provides educational psychology service to all primary and post primary schools through an assigned NEPS psychologist and in some cases through the Scheme for Commissioning Psychological Assessments (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.
The staffing structure of NEPS for professional grades comprises posts at Director, Regional Director, Senior Educational Psychologist and Educational Psychologist level. NEPS is organised on an 8 region structure with each region headed by a Regional Director. Currently there are 23 regional and local offices providing service to schools within their catchment areas. The allocation of schools to NEPS psychologists is therefore done on the basis of regional rather than county distribution with individual staff providing service to schools in one or a number of counties. It is not therefore feasible to disaggregate employment numbers by county.
As of 31st June last NEPS established numbers amounted to 178 psychologists (equating with 167.9 whole-time-equivalents when work-sharing arrangement are factored in). A regional breakdown of these number is provided in a table.
In the same period there were some 7 staff (7 w.t.e.) staff on statutory or extended maternity leave and 2 (2 w.t.e.) on sick leave. These staff, as is the normal practice in the system, are not replaced but schools affected by the absence of their assigned psychologist are afforded assessment services through the above mentioned SCPA scheme and emergency consultation cover by psychologist staff in the local or regional office.
I can inform the Deputy that the average salary paid to a NEPS psychologist is currently €78,853 and for his information the pay-scales currently applicable to the grades of psychologist within NEPS is set out in a table.
Established Numbers of Educational Psychologists Employed in NEPS
By Region
NEPS Region
|
Count
|
W.T.E.
|
Dublin
|
25
|
23.40
|
Dublin/Mid Leinster
|
28
|
25.60
|
Mid-Munster
|
26
|
23.53
|
North-East
|
17
|
16.40
|
North-West/Midlands
|
19
|
17.80
|
South-East/midlands
|
22
|
21.33
|
South-West
|
21
|
20.40
|
West
|
18
|
17.40
|
No Region
|
2
|
2.00
|
Grand Total
|
178
|
167.86
|
Note: Numbers at 21/6/15
By Grade
Grade
|
Count
|
W.T.E.
|
Director
|
1
|
1.00
|
Regional Director
|
7
|
7.00
|
Senior Psychologist
|
39
|
37.53
|
Psychologist
|
131
|
122.33
|
Grand Total
|
178
|
167.86
|
Current Pay-scales for NEPS Psychologists by Grade
NEPS Grades
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Regional Director
|
€84,233
|
€86,144
|
€88,065
|
€89,972
|
€91,405
|
€94,184
|
€96,963
|
Regional Director (PPC)
|
€88,440
|
€90,452
|
€92,470
|
€94,479
|
€95,990
|
€98,917
|
€101,839
|
Senior Psychologist
|
€74,035
|
€75,733
|
€77,406
|
€79,068
|
€80,721
|
€81,353
|
|
|
€83,834
|
€86,318
|
|
|
|
|
|
Senior Psychologist (PPC)
|
€77,751
|
€79,495
|
€81,251
|
€83,003
|
€84,745
|
€85,409
|
|
|
€88,018
|
€90,631
|
|
|
|
|
|
Educational Psychologist
|
€53,984
|
€56,326
|
€58,654
|
€60,963
|
€63,867
|
€65,000
|
|
|
€68,132
|
€71,854
|
€74,880
|
€77,182
|
€79,459
|
|
|
Educational Psychologist (PPC)
|
€56,789
|
€59,246
|
€61,701
|
€64,128
|
€65,000
|
€67,729
|
|
|
€71,593
|
€75,517
|
€78,619
|
€81,013
|
€83,414
|
|
|