Vol. 506 No. 2
386 Mr. Perry asked the Minister for Education and Science if a person (details supplied) in County Sligo will be allowed to attend the educational psychologist in view of the circumstances involved; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14839/99]
A psychologist employed by my Department provides a psychological service to a number of primary schools in County Sligo. However, the school attended by the child named by the Deputy does not yet have access to my Department's psychological service.
I am aware that there is a need for a psychological service to be readily available to all schools and its provision has been one of my priorities during my time in office. I will shortly be announcing the establishment of the National Educational Psychological Service Agency. It is envisaged that all schools will have access to the psychological service at the end of a five-year period of expansion.
Pending full implementation of the development plan for the National Educational Psychological Service Agency, the relevant health boards have the lead responsibility for psychological assessments of national school children. I will be discussing with my colleague, the Minister for Health and Children, how an orderly and phased transfer of psychological services for school children may best be effected.
387 Mr. O'Shea asked the Minister for Education and Science if a person (details supplied) in County Waterford will be assessed by an educational psychologist; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14848/99]
My Department does not, as yet, provide a psychological service to primary schools in County Waterford. This includes the school attended by the children mentioned by the Deputy. However, I am aware that there is a need for a psychological service to be readily available to all schools, and the provision of this has been one of my priorities during my time in office. I will shortly be announcing the establishment of the National Educational Psychological Service Agency. It is envisaged that all schools will have access to the psychological service at the end of a five-year period.
Pending full implementation of the development plan for the National Educational Psychological Service Agency, the relevant health boards have the lead responsibility for psychological assessments of national school children. I am concerned that children will not be left without psychological support during the development period of the agency. I will, therefore, be discussing with my colleague, the Minister for Health and Children, how an orderly and phased transfer of psychological services for school children may best be effected.
388 Mr. O'Shea asked the Minister for Education and Science when at least one educational psychologist will be appointed to the Waterford constituency; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14849/99]
Two of the psychologists employed by my Department currently provide a psychological service to all second level schools in County Waterford. I am aware that my Department does not, as yet, provide a psychological service to primary schools in the county and I realise that there is a need for all school children to have access to this service. For this reason, I announced, on 11 February 1999, the decision by the Government. to establish a National Educational Psychological Service Agency. The sum of £1.5 million was made available in last December's budget for the initial phase of this measure.
Expansion of the psychological service of this Department has now begun. Additional posts for psychologists were advertised last month. It is intended to appoint 25 psychologists during 1999 and, in accordance with the implementation plan for the new agency, it is intended to appoint further psychologists during the year 2000. It is envisaged that all schools will have access to the psychological service at the end of a five-year period, and it is hoped that there will be the nucleus of a psychological service in every county by the end of 1999.
