Beverley Flynn
Ceist:393 Ms Cooper-Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Science when a person (details supplied) in County Mayo will be assessed by an educational psychologist. [27411/00]
Written Answers. - Psychological Service.
The current situation is that the National Educational Psychological Service Agency – NEPS – does not yet provide a psychological service to the school attended by the named person. However, 26 additional psychologists have taken up their posts in the agency since the beginning of September. As soon as they have completed their programme of induction training, they will begin visiting schools. This will be before the end of this school term. I am unable to say at present which schools in County Mayo will be included in the next expansion phase of NEPS.
I am aware of the difficulties that have been experienced by some schools in gaining access to psychological assessments, pending the appointment of the full quota of psychologists for NEPS. A working group representative of NEPS and the health boards has begun to develop strategies to deal with cases of primary pupils in need of urgent psychological assessment and for whom there is not likely to be a service by NEPS in the short-term. It will report soon and is expected to recommend how such pupils can have the benefit of a psychological assessment.