Written Answers Nos. 174-198
174. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Defence if there are guidelines, written procedures or protocols or key performance indicators for acknowledgement of correspondence received and response to correspondence received, respectively by category of correspondence (details supplied) in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38238/21]
View answerMy Department is committed to the provision of the highest standard of Customer Service to the individuals and organisations with whom we interact. The Department of Defence and Defence Forces Customer Charter sets out the standards of service we aim to provide in accordance with the principles of quality Customer Service, as approved by Government.
The Department logs all contacts by Quarter. During 2020, the Department was contacted on a total of 236,774 occasions, either by telephone, post or e-mail. In summary, 98.7% of correspondence received was acknowledged within three working days and the rate of response within three working weeks was 99.8%. The statistics for 2021 approximately mirror those of 2020, and will be published in the 2021 Annual Report
In tabular form:
|
Overall totals for all correspondence received in 2020 |
Not acknowledged within 3 days |
Not replied to within 3 Weeks |
Queries in Irish |
|
236,977 |
2,729 |
573 |
0 |
|
First Q of 2021 |
|||
|
55,457 |
104 |
43 |
0 |
175. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Defence the dates in 2021 the commissioning ceremony for new recruits into the Naval Service and Air Corps will occur. [38254/21]
View answerI am pleased to confirm that a ceremony to commission 5 members of the 59th Naval Service Cadet Class as officers of the Permanent Defence Force is scheduled to take place on 16 July 2021 next in Haulbowline, Co Cork.
Earlier this year, on 25th March 2021, the commissioning ceremony of the 96th Cadet class was held at Collins Barracks, Dublin. 75 cadets were commissioned, of which 10 were commissioned as officers in the Air Corps.
No further cadet commissioning ceremonies have, as yet, been scheduled for 2021.
176. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Defence the number of persons by gender who applied to join the Naval Service at its most recent two-day recruitment campaign held in Dublin in late June 2021. [38255/21]
View answerThe military authorities advise that it is not possible to collate the required information in the time available. I will revert to the Deputy when the information has been gathered.
177. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Defence the amount spent by the Defence Forces on French manufactured equipment and services in 2020 and to date in 2021, in tabular form. [38256/21]
View answerThe detailed information sought by the Deputy is not readily available within the time frame sought. At the request of my Department the military authorities are conducting the search, retrieval and collation of same. I will arrange to have this information forwarded to the Deputy as soon as it is available.
178. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Defence the way his Department and public bodies and agencies under his remit are implementing Action 16 of the National Disability and Inclusion Strategy 2017-2021 (details supplied). [38476/21]
View answerI wish to advise the Deputy, in my Department we are committed to the use of Plain English across our external communications channels, including websites, as part of our commitment to promote accessibility.
When the Civil Defence website was developed it met the Accessibility Guidelines of 1.0, which were the guidelines at the time of development. The accessibility statement on the Civil Defence website can be accessed on the Civil Defence website, civildefence.ie. The Department of Defence has engaged with the developers of the Civil Defence website in order to review and report on what action is needed in order to comply with the updated Accessibility Guidelines 2.10.
In relation to public safety campaigns, the Office of Emergency Planning websites provide information tailored for people living with disabilities, as evidenced by the public safety campaigns, including, ‘Be Winter Ready’ and ‘Be Summer Ready'.
179. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Defence the way his Department and public bodies and agencies under his remit are implementing Action 32 of the National Disability and Inclusion Strategy 2017-2021 (details supplied). [38505/21]
View answerThe National Disability Inclusion Strategy (NDIS) 2017-2021 is the key framework for policy and action to address the needs of people with disabilities. Its aim is to improve the lives of people with disabilities in Ireland.
My Department is committed to doing all that is reasonable to assist people with disabilities seeking to avail of or access statutory entitlements or services provided by or under statute. It should be noted that my Department does not operate any public offices, nor does it generally supply direct services to the public.
The only State body currently under the aegis of my Department is the Army Pensions Board which is an independent statutory body, established under the Army Pensions Act 1927 and consisting of a chairman and two ordinary members. The Secretary to the Board is provided from the staff of my Department and therefore, any service requests will be supplied by my Department.
In compliance with Part 5 of the Disability Act 2005, my Department has undertaken, where practicable, to promote and support the employment of people with disabilities. The Department continues to operate in a non-discriminatory environment in accordance with the Equality Acts and aims to ensure that the principles of employment equality are implemented in recruitment, promotion, training and work experience. Recruitment to my Department is open to all applicants, and reasonable accommodation is afforded to those with a declared disability.
I will continue to work with my Government colleagues on matters arising in the area of disability.
180. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Defence the permanent and reserve units (details supplied) that have been disbanded since 1998; the date of disbandment of each; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38704/21]
View answerThe information requested by the Deputy was not readily available. I will revert to the Deputy on this matter as soon as possible.
181. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Defence the logistics and medical facilities that have been closed since 2000; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38705/21]
View answerI have sought clarification from the Deputy on the information sought. Once this clarification is received, I will revert to the Deputy as soon as possible.
182. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Defence the Permanent Defence Forces annual recruitment since 2000 to date; and the breakdown per service, corps, enlisted personnel and officers in tabular form. [38706/21]
View answerThe military authorities advise that it is not possible to collate the required information in the time available. I will revert to the Deputy when the information has been gathered.
183. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Defence the Reserve Defence Forces annual recruitment since 2000 to present; and the breakdown per service, corps, enlisted personnel and officers in tabular form. [38707/21]
View answer185. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Defence the Reserve Defence Forces figures for those leaving the organisation since 2000; and the breakdown per service, corps, enlisted personnel and officers in tabular form. [38709/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 183 and 185 together.
The table below details the number of Reserve Defence Force (RDF) members inducted and discharged on an annual basis from 2012 to 31 May, 2021, broken down by Army Reserve (AR) and Naval Service Reserve (NSR).
While it is not possible to provide a further breakdown of this data within the timeframe for this response, I will revert to the Deputy with the additional information requested, when available.
Please note the following:
*2021 data is as at 31st May 2021
The data provided for 2012 to 2019 inclusive is as at 31 Dec of each year
Data includes all ranks in each service within the RDF
|
Discharged |
Inducted |
|||||
|
Year |
AR |
NSR |
Total |
AR |
NSR |
Total |
|
*2021 |
41 |
3 |
44 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
2020 |
113 |
26 |
139 |
53 |
13 |
69 |
|
2019 |
139 |
13 |
152 |
127 |
17 |
144 |
|
2018 |
291 |
11 |
302 |
129 |
13 |
142 |
|
2017 |
323 |
24 |
347 |
132 |
22 |
154 |
|
2016 |
332 |
6 |
338 |
85 |
1 |
86 |
|
2015 |
421 |
28 |
449 |
319 |
22 |
341 |
|
2014 |
867 |
36 |
903 |
142 |
15 |
157 |
|
2013 |
1013 |
34 |
1047 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
|
2012 |
831 |
30 |
861 |
324 |
20 |
344 |
Unfortunately the information requested by the Deputy for the years 2000 to 2011 inclusive is not available in the format sought. The work involved in investigating and extracting records would require significant human resources.
184. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Defence the Permanent Defence Forces figures for those leaving the organisation since 2000; and the breakdown per service, corps, enlisted personnel and officers in tabular form. [38708/21]
View answerThe military authorities advise that it is not possible to collate the required information in the time available. I will revert to the Deputy as soon as the information is made available to me.
186. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Defence the number of Defence Forces personnel deployed on overseas missions since 2000; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38710/21]
View answerAs of 1 July 2021, Ireland is contributing 579 personnel to 10 different missions throughout the world. The main overseas missions in which Defence Forces personnel are currently deployed are the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) with 351 personnel and the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) in Syria with 137 personnel.
The Defence Forces have a long and distinguished history of overseas service. Since 1958, the Defence Forces have maintained a worldwide continuous overseas presence on peace support operations numbering in excess of 71,000 individual tours of duty.
From January 2000 to December 2020, in excess of 28,000 individual tours of duty have been conducted by members of the Defence Forces.
187. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Defence the current position on the first line reserve; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38711/21]
View answerThe strength of the First Line Reserve (FLR) is 262 members, as of 31 May 2020. As outlined in the White Paper on Defence, the Government has decided to retain the FLR.
The existing regulatory framework provides for former members of the Permanent Defence Force (PDF) to join the Army Reserve or Naval Service Reserve. This is subject to their meeting certain criteria. Direct entry to the FLR is limited to personnel who are departing the PDF and have undertaken, either voluntarily or on foot of a contractual commitment, to complete a period of service in the FLR.
A review of the regulatory framework underpinning the FLR, with a view to presenting proposals on terms and conditions of membership, is due to commence upon completion of the projects arising from the High Level Implementation Plan (HLIP) "Strengthening Our Defence Forces". As the Deputy will be aware, significant progress has been made in relation to the HLIP and the majority of projects have been finalised.
As part of its terms of reference, the Commission on the Defence Forces will examine the role and contribution of the Reserve Defence Force (RDF), including its legislation, the regulations governing the RDF, and the development of the FLR. The Commission is due to report at the end of the year.
In the interim, where the Military Authorities submit applications for the purposes of meeting a specialist capability gap in the PDF, they will be considered by me under the provisions of the current regulatory framework, on a case by case basis.
188. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Defence the air space territories and boundaries the State is responsible for in terms of national defence and security. [38712/21]
View answer190. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Defence the 24/7 air defence and surveillance capabilities of the State; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38714/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 188 and 190 together.
The Air Corps is not tasked or equipped to monitor and communicate with aircraft overflying Irish airspace, military or otherwise and irrespective of whether the transponder is switched on or not. However, on a routine basis the Air Corps monitors and communicates with foreign military aircraft where such aircraft are flying in the airspace in the vicinity of Casement Aerodrome, Baldonnel, where air traffic control is provided by the Defence Forces.
It remains Government policy, as per the 2015 White Paper on Defence, that should additional funding, beyond that provided for in existing plans, becomes available the development of a radar surveillance capability will be considered. Future equipment priorities for the Army, Air Corps and Naval Service are considered in the context of the White Paper on Defence, reinforced by the White Paper Update 2019, as part of the capability development and equipment priorities planning process.
The Equipment Development Plan (EDP) published in June 2020 provides a comprehensive list of planned equipment projects to be advanced over the next five years. The EDP includes reference to a primary radar project. Consideration of this project will be prioritised should additional appropriate funding become available. The overall priorities in the EDP will remain under review as it is progressively implemented and taking account of funding availability.
Acquisition of primary radar capability would have to be assessed against the significant investment of public funds, in respect of both the initial investment and the on-going operational costs, which would have to be considered alongside other spending priorities and the nature of the threats Ireland faces.
In terms of Ireland's area of responsibility, Article 1 of the International Civil Aviation Organisation's convention, states that “every State has complete and exclusive sovereignty over the airspace above its territory”. The IAA exercises Air Traffic Control responsibilities for an airspace of some 450,000 sq. km comprising of both sovereign airspace and also airspace over the high seas, largely off the western seaboard. All air traffic, both civil and military, is monitored and controlled by the IAA in respect of this airspace and in line with ICAO rules it is normal practice for the IAA to be informed by the relevant State of any military flights operating in Irish controlled airspace.
189. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Defence the maritime territories and boundaries the State is responsible for in terms of national defence and security; the air, surface and subsurface areas of responsibility within this context; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38713/21]
View answerAn Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) is a concept adopted at the Third United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea (1982), whereby a coastal State assumes jurisdiction over the exploration and exploitation of marine resources in its adjacent section of the continental shelf, taken to be a band extending 200 miles from the shore. The current Irish Exclusive Economic Zone, (EEZ) or Exclusive Fishery Limits, (EFL) extends to 200 miles offshore and covers an area of 132,000 nautical square miles which is equivalent to an area of 175,000 square land miles. This represents 16% of EU waters. Questions related to the specific rights and responsibilities associated with Ireland's EEZ should be directed to my colleague, the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine.
From a Defence Organisation perspective, the Naval Service and the Air Corps currently patrol the entire 200 mile limit in respect of sea fisheries protection and periodically patrol beyond these limits to protect specific fisheries. These patrols are carried out on a regular and frequent basis and are directed to all areas of Irish waters as necessary including coastal areas. Naval Service vessels are multi-tasked in that they undertake general surveillance security and other duties while conducting their primary day-to-day tasking of providing a fishery protection service in accordance with the State’s obligations as a member of the European Union. However, as the need arises, Naval Service vessels are deployed to other duties such as aid to the civil power, search and rescue or recovery and drug interdiction operations.
Naval Service patrols are complemented by assistance provided by the Air Corps. The Air Corps Maritime Squadron carries out aerial surveillance of our EEZ using the two CASA maritime patrol aircraft.
In a military context, under international law other State's naval ships or vessels are within their rights to carry out a training exercise in Ireland's EEZ or to traverse the Irish EEZ. This is not in any way an infringement of our national territory. In this context it is not unusual for naval ships or vessels of other States to carry out training exercises within Ireland's EEZ or to passage through this area. This would normally involve prior notification to Irish Authorities where an exercise was taking place close to our Territorial Waters but this is not a requirement. Should another State's naval ship or vessels seek to enter inside Ireland's Territorial Waters, inside the 12NM, then diplomatic clearance must be requested via the Department of Foreign Affairs.
191. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Defence the belligerent incursions in Irish airspace since 2000; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38715/21]
View answerFor the Deputy's awareness, in accordance with the legislative requirements of the Air Navigation (Foreign Military Aircraft) Order 1952, all foreign military aircraft wishing to overfly or land in the State require the permission of the Minister for Foreign Affairs. A request is received by the Department of Foreign Affairs from the relevant embassy of the visiting/overflying foreign aircraft. This request is then forwarded to a number of parties including the Department of Defence and the Department of Justice for observations.
The Air Corps is not tasked or equipped to monitor and communicate with aircraft overflying Irish airspace, military or otherwise and irrespective of whether the transponder is switched on or not. However, on a routine basis the Air Corps monitors and communicates with foreign military aircraft where such aircraft are flying in the airspace in the vicinity of Casement Aerodrome, Baldonnel, where air traffic control is provided by the Defence Forces.
The Defence Organisation does not collate data on alleged incursions into Irish airspace.
The IAA exercises Air Traffic Control responsibilities for an airspace of some 450,000 sq. kms comprising of both sovereign airspace and also airspace over the high seas, largely off the western seaboard. All air traffic, both civil and military, is monitored and controlled by the IAA in respect of this airspace and in line with ICAO rules it is normal practice for the IAA to be informed by the relevant State of any military flights operating in Irish controlled airspace.
192. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Education if she will give accreditation to the certificate in inclusive school support the national training programme for SNAs which is currently being delivered by UCD and was established following a review by the NCSE; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38131/21]
View answerSpecial Needs Assistants (SNAs) play a huge role in helping to ensure the inclusion of pupils with significant care needs in education and in school life. This was acknowledged in the Comprehensive Review of the Special Needs Assistant Scheme (SNAs) published by the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) in 2018.
The Review made a number of recommendations regarding SNAs and the need for a more broadly based set of supports including therapeutic supports for pupils with complex needs. The Review also referenced the training needs of SNAs. In this regard, the NCSE recommended that a new national training programme at Level 5 of the National Qualification Framework be developed for existing SNAs who do not have the requisite level of training and for new SNAs on appointment. The NCSE also recommended that training tailored to the specific complex needs of some students being cared for by SNAs would also be provided.
The policy advice has been considered by the Department. It was decided that priority should be given to the development of a training programme for SNAs who may not have had a recent opportunity to access a training programme tailored to their role.
A public procurement competition was held for the development and delivery of a new national training programme for SNAs. A detailed specification of need and learning outcomes was developed and published for the competition. Formal accreditation to the National Qualifications Framework was not a requirement for the programme. Following evaluation of the tenders received, the contract was awarded to University College Dublin (UCD) School of Education, in conjunction with UCD School of Nursing, Midwifery and Health Systems.
UCD has a strong reputation in the world of education and training. It brings with it a wealth of experience and research knowledge in the training and has very strong quality assurance arrangements for its programmes. Feedback from programme participants is a key feature of this quality assurance process.
This new programme aims to enhance the knowledge, skills and expertise of SNAs whose work is central to the inclusion of students with additional care and complex needs in school life.
The programme consists of five modules, delivered online over a 10-month period. Flexibility is a key part of the approach to the delivery of the programme and participation is voluntary.
The programme is fully funded by the Department and delivered at no cost to the SNA.
Completion of the programme may serve as a stepping stone to further education opportunities in the area.
Each participant who completes the programme successfully will receive a certificate from UCD School of Education which may be of assistance in pursuing further education.
€2.45m will be allocated to this programme over the next 4 year period based on a full uptake of 3,500 SNAs. The first cohort of 500 SNAs enrolled in January and this phase was oversubscribed.
This is the first national training programme for SNAs employed in our schools and is tailored to their needs. The programme will be evaluated and the outcome will inform the approach to the training of SNAs in the future. There is no cost to serving SNAs working in schools. This course is fully funded by the Department of Education.
The Department recognises that a more strategic approach is required for the training of SNAs. This would deal with a number of matters including the identification of need and the provision of appropriate training programmes. The issue of programme accreditation will be considered further in this context.
193. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education the number of children that receive a school transport remote area grant; the value of grants awarded in the last full school year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38133/21]
View answerThe School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department. In the 2020/21 school year more than 114,100 children, including over 14,700 children with special educational needs, were transported on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country at a cost of over €224.7m in 2020.
The purpose of my Department's School Transport Scheme is, having regard to available resources, to support the transport to and from school of children who reside remote from their nearest school.
An eligible child for whom no transport service is available may, following an application for transport within the prescribed time limits, receive a Remote Area Grant towards the cost of private transport arrangements
An application for transport must be submitted for each subsequent child requiring transport, even in cases where the family is already in receipt of the Remote Area Grant.
The grant, which is payable annually at the end of the school year, is generally based on the distance a family resides from their school of eligibility.
The maximum daily allowance payable under the Remote Area Grant is €5.10 per day, regardless of the number of children from the same family, travelling to particular schools. For families with more than one eligible child the grant amount will be calculated by reference to the child with the highest attendance record.
The total value of the Remote Area Grant for the 2019/20 school year amounted to just under €700,000 being paid to approximately 1,600 families.
194. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education the number of children qualifying for the school transport remote area grant under each of the five distance categories in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38134/21]
View answerThe School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department. In the 2020/21 school year more than 114,100 children, including over 14,700 children with special educational needs, were transported on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country at a cost of over €224.7m in 2020.
The purpose of my Department's School Transport Scheme is, having regard to available resources, to support the transport to and from school of children who reside remote from their nearest school.
An eligible child for whom no transport service is available may, following an application for transport within the prescribed time limits, receive a Remote Area Grant towards the cost of private transport arrangements
An application for transport must be submitted for each subsequent child requiring transport, even in cases where the family is already in receipt of the Remote Area Grant.
The grant, which is payable annually at the end of the school year, is generally based on the distance a family resides from their school of eligibility.
There are just over 1,700 families eligible for the Remote Area Grant for the 2020/21 school year. The breakdown of rates payable to those families is as follow;
|
Amount per day |
Number of families eligible 2020/21 School Year |
|
€1.30 |
381 |
|
€2.60 |
325 |
|
€3.30 |
210 |
|
€4.20 |
186 |
|
€5.10 |
607 |
The maximum daily allowance payable under the Remote Area Grant is €5.10 per day, regardless of the number of children from the same family, travelling to particular schools. For families with more than one eligible child the grant amount will be calculated by reference to the child with the highest attendance record.
195. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education the investment in the school transport scheme bus fleet in each year from 2010 to 2020; the number of new buses added or replaced on the scheme in each year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38135/21]
View answerThe School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department. In the current school year over 114,100 children, including over 14,700 children with special educational needs, are transported on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country at a cost of over €224.7m in 2020.
Bus Éireann have advised that the number of new buses added or replaced to directly service the School Transport Scheme in each year excluding services which are contracted by Bus Éireann amounts to 258 buses. It should be noted that Bus Éireann is directly responsible for just 14% of routes while 86% of routes are run by private contractors under contract to Bus Éireann for the provision of services.
These buses were transferred from Road Passenger services as replacement to School buses which were retired at the maximum age of 20 years. In addition, 20 buses were purchased since 2010.
The numbers transferred or purchased per year are as follows;
|
Year |
Transfers |
Purchased |
Total |
|
2010 |
30 |
30 |
|
|
2011 |
8 |
8 |
|
|
2012 |
54 |
54 |
|
|
2013 |
20 |
20 |
|
|
2014 |
2 |
2 |
|
|
2015 |
45 |
45 |
|
|
2016 |
29 |
20 |
49 |
|
2017 |
21 |
21 |
|
|
2018 |
9 |
9 |
|
|
2019 |
0 |
0 |
|
|
2020 |
40 |
40 |
|
|
Total |
258 |
20 |
278 |
Bus Éireann has also advised that the current number of fleet directly deployed by Bus Éireann for services to the School Transport Scheme is 331.
196. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Education the estimated cost in 2022 to recruit 25 additional educational psychologists in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38194/21]
View answerI can inform the Deputy that the average direct pay and non-pay cost per annum of employing an Educational Psychologist in my Department's NEPS service is €75,000 per annum. The estimated annual additional cost, therefore, of employing 25 psychologists would be €1.875m. It should be noted, however, that should an extensive recruitment exercise be envisaged, in the first instance, a comprehensive plan to increase the numbers of appropriately qualified graduates would be required.
197. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Education the engagement she or the agencies under her remit has had with the National Broadband Plan in the past two months. [38199/21]
View answerMy Department is working closely with the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications on the implementation of the National Broadband Plan Intervention area, which will see some 679 primary schools provided with high speed connectivity by the end of 2022. This includes the School Connection Points under the Broadband Connection Points programme implementation currently underway. There is ongoing collaboration to ensure schools can avail of the delivery of high speed broadband infrastructure through the Schools Broadband Programme in a timely manner. The implementation of the National Broadband Plan is managed by the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications and any engagement is in that context.
The policy of my Department is to offer the best quality connectivity to all schools in line with the technical solutions available in the market and within financial constraints through the Schools Broadband Programme. Currently my Department invests some €13m annually for the provision of internet connectivity to schools. As you will be aware, broadband capacity can vary across geographical locations and is dependent on local infrastructure which can impact on the service that can be provided in individual schools.
In operating the Schools Broadband Programme, my Department adheres to procurement regulations, and must engage with the selected retail serviced providers on the DE Framework of Providers of Broadband Services through a tender process to award services. National Broadband Ireland is not one of these providers, however when the infrastructure provided by NBI is in place, the retail service providers on the Primary Schools Broadband Framework will be in a position to utilise this in providing connectivity through my Department's School Broadband Programme, as is the case for all wholesale providers of broadband infrastructure.
198. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education the number of NEPS psychologists that are assigned to the schools in an area (details supplied); if psychologists assigned are based on school population; if the psychologists work on referrals during the school break; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38233/21]
View answerI 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).
NEPS does not maintain waiting lists but in common with many other psychological services and best international practice, has adopted a consultative model of service. The focus is on empowering teachers to intervene effectively with pupils whose needs range from mild to severe and transient to enduring. Psychologists use a problem solving and solution oriented consultative approach to maximize positive outcomes for these pupils. NEPS encourages schools to use a continuum based assessment and intervention process whereby each school takes responsibility for initial assessment, educational planning and remedial intervention for pupils with learning, emotional or behavioural difficulties. Teachers may consult their NEPS psychologist should they need to at this stage in the process. Only in the event of a failure to make reasonable progress, in spite of the school's best efforts in consultation with NEPS, will the psychologist become involved with an individual child for intensive intervention or assessment.
This system allows psychologists to give early attention to urgent cases and also to help many more children indirectly than could be seen individually. It also ensures that children are not referred unnecessarily for psychological intervention.
In relation to the Deputy’s request for information regarding NEPS service to East Meath schools, I wish to advise that psychologists work within a regional and local office structure serving the needs of schools in their immediate vicinity. The East Meath area is part of the North East Region of NEPS which covers counties Cavan, Monaghan, Louth and Meath. There are ten schools in the East Meath area. Each of these schools has access to NEPS for Critical Incident Support, the NEPS Regional Support and Development Service and for response to queries arising. Eight of the schools have an assigned NEPS psychologist for a casework service and two, while awaiting the appointment of a NEPS psychologist, have access to the Scheme for the Commissioning of Psychological Assessments (SCPA).
NEPS psychologists are assigned schools based on a weighting process which takes into account school size, DEIS status, gender mix and geographical spread and equating roughly to a 5,000:1 pupil to psychologist ratio.
NEPS is a school-based psychological service and NEPS psychologists work collaboratively with teachers in their assigned schools using a consultative problem-solving and solution-oriented approach to maximize positive outcomes for students in the school setting. In general NEPS psychologists do not work directly in schools outside of term time. Psychologists, however, continue to work on a casework service, off-site, with a particular focus on report-writing at this time. NEPS continues to be available to support schools should they be needed, throughout the school holiday period.
