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National Educational Psychological Service Staff

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 15 July 2015

Wednesday, 15 July 2015

Questions (287, 288)

Jonathan O'Brien

Question:

287. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills the average salary of a National Educational Psychological Service psychologist; the number of such psychologists currently employed; their rates of pay; and the salary scales applicable to their positions. [29563/15]

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Jonathan O'Brien

Question:

288. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of National Educational Psychological Service psychologists currently employed, by county; and the number of these currently on maternity leave or sick leave and who have not been replaced. [29564/15]

View answer

Written answers

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

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