Marian Harkin
Question:386. Deputy Marian Harkin asked the Minister for Education her plans to make funding available to fund a training programme (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49629/22]
View answerTuesday, 11 October 2022
Questions (386, 411)
Willie O'Dea
Question:411. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Education if her attention has been drawn to the fact that the trainee educational and child psychologist programme is now the only type of psychologist training programme which is not Government funded; her plans to deal with this very unfair anomaly; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49829/22]
View answerWritten answers
I propose to take Questions Nos. 386 and 411 together.
I very much value the work of all educational psychologists across the education system. As you are likely aware, the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) of my Department provides a school-based psychological service to all recognised primary and post-primary schools through the application of psychological theory and practice to support the wellbeing, and the academic, social and emotional development of all learners.
The NEPS service provides access for all schools to:
- Psychological support in the event of a Critical Incident
- A Casework Service for individual children where there is a need for intensive consultation and assessment
- A school staff Support and Development Service, to build school capability to provide a comprehensive continuum of support in schools and
- Ongoing access to advice and support for schools.
This overall approach allows psychologists to give early attention to urgent individual cases and, through supporting school staff, to benefit many more children than could be seen individually.
In 2021 the NEPS casework service extended to over 8,500 students. Additionally, under the Scheme for Commissioning Psychological Assessments (SCPA) process, private psychologists provided assessment to schools for over 900 students. Furthermore, the NEPS Support and Development service reaches an estimated 25,000 teachers annually.
There is currently in the region of 225 whole-time equivalent NEPS educational psychologists delivering an excellent service to our schools, having grown from a base of 173 posts in 2014. NEPS was allocated a budget of approximately €24 million in 2022 to deliver its essential service. As part of Budget 2023, I recently announced provision for an additional 54 educational psychologists to strengthen the NEPS service overall, and in particular to provide strengthened services for special schools and special classes.
My Department is acutely aware of recruitment challenges which exist nationally in terms of educational psychologists, and has established a high-level working group, chaired by the Secretary General, to consider how best to support educational psychologists and to ensure that there is an adequate supply of psychologists available to the education sector. I am very conscious of the issue of fees for trainee education psychologists and am working intensively with my officials to find a positive resolution to the issue.