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National Educational Psychological Service Data

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 10 October 2017

Tuesday, 10 October 2017

Questions (115)

Thomas Byrne

Question:

115. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of educational psychologist posts in place in May 2016, January 2017 and September 2017; and the progress in the recruitment of educational psychologists. [42725/17]

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Written answers

I can inform the Deputy that my Department's National Educational Psychological Service provides educational psychological support to all primary and post-primary schools. This involves direct support in the event of a critical incident, access to national and regional support and development work to build school capacity to support students, access to a NEPS psychologist for responses to queries arising, and access to individual pupil casework via a NEPS psychologist or through the Scheme for the Commissioning of Psychological Assessments, SCPA.

The Deputy will be aware that the Programme for a Partnership Government commits that we will invest additional resources in the National Educational Psychological Service to ensure earlier intervention and access for young children and teenagers and to offer immediate support to schools in cases of critical incidents. The Programme commits to bring the total number of NEPS psychologists to 238. Delivery on this commitment is underway in 2017 with an additional 11 NEPS psychologists recruited or in the process of being recruited currently. Additionally, my Department, in conjunction with the Public Appointments Service, PAS, has from established regional recruitment panels been engaged throughout the year in securing recruits to fill vacancies in the NEPS psychologist posts due to ongoing retirement, resignations, etc.

For the Deputy’s information, there follows detail of the NEPS psychologist staffing numbers for May 2016, January 2017 and September 2017, as well as recruitment since and in prospect in this regard.

Detail of NEPS Staffing Numbers - by head count and whole-time equivalent, w.t.e.

Staffing

Head-Count

w.t.e.

 May 2016

175

163.8

 January 2017

171

161.2

 September 2017

182

171.7

 - by End November 2017  (^)

6

6.0

 - Confirmed but no Start Date (#)

4

4.0

 - Starting in 2018 (&)

2

2.0

 - With PAS (*)

1

1.0

195

184.7

Notes:

(^) Recruits have agreed start dates.

(#) The public appointments service has recently processed these recruits and referred them on to the Department's HR Unit for contract negotiations and formal offer. It is expected that these recruits start will be before year's end.

(&) Two recruits have delayed start date due to maternity leave.

(*) PAS are currently polling the recruitment panels for a recruit.

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