Léim ar aghaidh chuig an bpríomhábhar
Gnáthamharc

Psychological Service.

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 26 February 2009

Thursday, 26 February 2009

Ceisteanna (39)

Sean Sherlock

Ceist:

36 Deputy Seán Sherlock asked the Minister for Education and Science, further to Parliamentary Question No. 240 of 13 November 2008, his views on expanding the role of the National Educational Psychological Service to include assessing children to determine their eligibility for concessions at third level; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7903/09]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

Access to higher education for people with disabilities has increased in recent years. It is estimated that 4.2% of all new entrants to higher education have one or more disabilities [1]. While the majority of applicants to higher education with a disability receive an offer for entry to higher education through the normal CAO route and do not require any points concessions, it is important that these students have access to the appropriate assessment service.

The National Council for Special Education has responsibility for developing disability services to students in primary and secondary level education. Therefore a majority of students with a disability will have been assessed prior to entry into higher education. Access and disability staff in higher education institutions will assist in whatever way they can to ensure that those who have not been assessed have access to the relevant services.

A report from the Higher Education Authority in 2005 (Progressing the Action Plan: Funding to achieve equity of access to higher education) recommended that a model for a regionally-based service should be developed to ensure that all students enrolling in higher education have access to a needs assessment service. Following this recommendation a project, led by Athlone Institute of Technology, was approved funding from the Strategic Innovation Fund for the development of a Needs Assessment Centre which would cater for the assessment needs of people with disabilities. This project is currently being implemented.

In relation to the expansion of the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) the Deputy will be aware that all primary and post primary schools have access to psychological assessments either directly through my Department's National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) or through the Scheme for Commissioning Psychological Assessments (SCPA) which is administered by NEPS. He will also be aware that I was pleased to announce recently, in the context of Budget 2009, an increase in the funding available to NEPS with which it is envisaged that up to 50 further psychologists can be appointed. The primary focus of NEPS is on early intervention strategies to leverage maximum benefit for students, particularly those with special needs. It is envisaged that this expansion in NEPS psychologists will be used in the first instance to ensure that a NEPS psychologist is assigned to every primary and post-primary school and that a level of enhancement of service will be afforded to Special Needs Units and schools.

In addition, the NEPS service provides recommendations to the State Examinations Commission on applications for reasonable accommodations under the RACE scheme for over 3,000 Leaving Certificate students annually.

[1] HEA. Higher Education Key Facts and Figures 2007/08. Figure based on the response rate of 26 higher education institutions via the Equal Access Data Collection process.

Barr
Roinn