Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 8 July 2004
172 Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Education and Science if his attention has been drawn to the case of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 12; and the steps he will take to ensure that this person’s family is not forced to have a private assessment done again. [21126/04]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe school attended by this person has access to the psychological service provided by the National Educational Psychological Service, NEPS. Schools served by NEPS do not have funds assigned to them in respect of this service.
The amount of time offered to each school depends on a number of factors, such as level of disadvantage and incidence of special needs. At the beginning of each academic year, the NEPS psychologist assigned to the school meets the principal to discuss the general needs of the school for psychological support.
In this case, the principal and the psychologist agreed on a programme of work for 2003-04 that included five full individual psychological assessments and support for the teachers working with those children.
The person named by the Deputy was discussed during the planning meeting. As she had already been assessed and as my Department had assigned additional resource hours to her, it was agreed that priority should be given to other children who had never previously been assessed. There proved to be insufficient time during the school year for this pupil's case to be reviewed.
However, the psychologist assigned to the school intends to discuss the pupil during her meeting with the school principal early next term and to decide on the appropriate course of action. There will be no need for the parents to pay for a private assessment.
