Vol. 518 No. 6
607 Mr. Stagg asked the Minister for Education and Science if he will sanction the appointment of psychologists to cover the remainder of primary schools in north County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13097/00]
The national policy advisory board of the national educational psychological service – NEPS – has been set up to advise me on the development of that service. The board will be advising me on possible strategies to meet the current need for psychological support in schools, taking account of evidence of disadvantage, incidence of special needs and the level of access to other psychological services. In the interest of equity, it is proposed that new psychologists will be distributed on a pro rata basis among the regions, until each has reached its target number, which will be determined by the evidence of need. During the development phase of NEPS, the needs of all schools, including those in north County Kildare, will be considered by the board when assigning new psychologists to schools. Under the Government's plans it is envisaged that all schools will have access to the psychological service by the end of 2004.
