Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 7 May 2003

Vol. 566 No. 1

Written Answers. - Psychological Service.

Seán Crowe

Ceist:

284 Mr. Crowe asked the Minister for Education and Science if his attention has been drawn to the difficulties schools have in accessing funds to assess children with learning disabilities; if his attention has further been drawn to the fact that in some schools it has been necessary for private professionals to come in to carry out the assessments of children at a cost borne by the schools and by parents; the amount of money which has been made available for assessments in 2003; the plans his Department has for resolving the issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11505/03]

Minister for Education and Science (Mr. N. Dempsey)

The Government is committed to providing a full educational psychological service to all schools. The planning group that prepared proposals for the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) recommended that 200 psychologists would be needed in the educational system, of whom about 180 would be in NEPS. The planning group also recommended that this target should be achieved over a period of five years and that the psychological service should gradually be expanded to all during that time.

The Government decided in early 1999 that the recommendations in the report of the planning group should be implemented. NEPS was therefore established on 1 September 1999 and has been expanding gradually on a national basis over the past few years in accordance with the Government's decision.

I am aware that, during this development phase of NEPS, some schools have experienced difficulties in accessing psychological assessments. I have, therefore, provided funding so that those schools that do not yet have direct access to the NEPS service can avail of the scheme for commissioning private assessments, SCPA, which NEPS administers, pending the full expansion of the NEPS service to all schools. This is an interim arrangement and is not a substitute for a full educational psychological service. In the financial year 2002, a total of €1,247,310 was expended on assessments carried out under SCPA and I am committed to funding the continuation of the SCPA scheme to the end of the current school year. In the period January to March 2003, €367,620.00 has been expended on assessments under SCPA. This is an increase of 58% on the same period in 2002, due in part to increased awareness by schools of the existence of SCPA and in part to some enhancements of the scheme.

I am aware that some schools state that the number of assessments that they can access is inadequate. Officials of my Department, including representatives of NEPS, are examining the whole issue of assessment of children with learning disabilities and will shortly present me with proposals aimed at resolving this matter.