Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 12 July 2016
236. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the average number of educational assessments carried out by the National Educational Psychology Service and the scheme for the commissioning of private psychological assessments, by school, for each of the years 2006 to 2016 to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20631/16]
View answerThe Deputy may 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). The scheme is administered by NEPS from a panel of private practitioners maintained for this purpose.
The Scheme for Commissioning was created in 2001 as a temporary measure to provide service to schools (assessment only) in advance of full provision of NEPS personnel and where a NEPS psychologist was not available to provide the full NEPS model of service. Historically service was provided to schools either by a NEPS psychologist or through SCPA. I include for the Deputy's information a table setting out the average number of assessments and referrals undertaken under SCPA or by NEPS Psychologists by year by Primary and Post-Primary school for each of the last ten years.
Average Number of Assessments / Referrals undertaken under SCPA or by NEPS Psychologists by year by Primary and Post-Primary school
|
Year |
Schools |
SCPA |
NEPS Referrals |
Total |
Average |
|
2006/07 |
3,997 |
4,427 |
5,989 |
10,416 |
2.61 |
|
2007/08 |
3,991 |
4,543 |
6,042 |
10,585 |
2.65 |
|
2008/09 |
3,987 |
2,927 |
7,696 |
10,623 |
2.66 |
|
2009/10 |
3,980 |
2,614 |
8,253 |
10,867 |
2.73 |
|
2010/11 |
3,983 |
2,593 |
8,063 |
10,656 |
2.68 |
|
2011/12 |
3,963 |
2,160 |
8,564 |
10,724 |
2.71 |
|
2012/13 |
3,959 |
2,236 |
8,498 |
10,734 |
2.71 |
|
2013/14 |
3,952 |
1,579 |
8,557 |
10,136 |
2.56 |
|
2014/15 |
3,945 |
1,817 |
8,007 |
9,824 |
2.49 |
|
2015/16 |
3,932 |
1,658 |
6,222 |
7,880 |
2.00 (&) |
(&) Data incomplete as yet – to be updated by end Sept 2016
