Vol. 544 No. 2
47 Mr. McCormack asked the Minister for Education and Science the number of children assessed as dyslexic in County Galway; the timescale which is involved once a child is presented with suspected dyslexia; and the subsequent professional assessment by the Western Health Board. [28276/01]
In past years, psychological assessment of national school children, including those suspected of having dyslexia, has been the responsibility of psychologists employed by the health boards and by voluntary agencies under their aegis. However, the Government decided in early 1999 that my Department should take the lead role in the provision of educational psychological services to schools. In September 1999, my Department established the national educational psychological service agency, NEPS, with the remit of developing a service that would be available to all primary and post-primary schools. Whilst the NEPS keeps statistics on the reasons for referrals for psychological assessments, these are not available on a county by county basis. An important part of the psychologist's work is to assist principals and teachers to develop procedures for screening, identifying and prioritising those students who are most in need of help. NEPS psychologists also provide a consultation service and, in many cases, rather than assessing individual children, will give advice to teachers on appropriate programmes and methodologies that will help to overcome learning difficulties.
All post-primary schools and 158 primary schools in County Galway have access to the NEPS service. Children in schools not yet served by NEPS may be assessed by psychologists from the Western Health Board or from voluntary bodies under its aegis. I am not in a position to provide detailed information about the health board services. Pending the appointment of the full quota of psychologists to the NEPS agency I have also made funding available in order that schools that do not yet have access to its service may commission psychological assessments from private practitioners.
