Vol. 500 No. 7
414 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Education and Science the number of educational psychologists deployed at all levels throughout the country; the areas to which they have been appointed; the number with responsibility for County Kildare and specifically for Kildare north; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5290/99]
Forty-five psychologists employed by my Department are working in schools, in addition to six psychologists in senior, supervisory posts. Nineteen psychologists work in second level schools and 26 are deployed in primary schools.
All second level schools are assigned to one of my Department's psychologists. At this level, the vocational education committees in the city and county of Dublin also employ psychologists. In the primary sector, my Department provides a psychological service to all primary schools designated as disadvantaged in the cities of Dublin, Cork and Limerick and to all primary schools in Tipperary South Riding. During the past year, the service has been greatly enhanced by the recruitment of 15 additional psychologists to work in primary schools. This has made it possible to initiate a service in counties Clare, Cork, Galway, Kerry, Kildare, Limerick, Louth, Mayo, Meath, Offaly, Sligo, Tipperary North and Wicklow.
At present, the situation in County Kildare is as follows. All post-primary schools are assigned to a psychologist of my Department. In addition, 19 primary schools in the south of County Kildare now have access to the psychological service, as do six schools in Leixlip.
However, I am aware that there are many primary schools in the country, including many in County Kildare, which do not yet have access to my Department's psychological service. On Thursday, 11 February, with the Taoiseach, I announced Government approval for the establishment of a National Educational Psychological Service. Financial provision has now been made for the first two years of a five year implementation phase. At the end of the five year period, it is envisaged that every school in the country, including all schools in County Kildare, will have access to a schools psychological service.
