James Browne
Ceist:214. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of schools with no psychologist assigned to them; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31174/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraWednesday, 11 July 2018
Ceisteanna (214)
Freagraí scríofa
As the Deputy may be aware my Department’s National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) provides educational psychological support to all primary and post-primary schools. This involves direct support in the event of a critical incident, access to national and regional support and development work to build school capacity to support students, access to a NEPS psychologist for responses to queries arising, and access to individual pupil casework via a NEPS psychologist or through the Scheme for the Commissioning of Psychological Assessments. (SCPA).
I can inform the Deputy that, following on from an increase allowed in the 2017 Budget, the sanctioned number for NEPS psychologist stands at 184 whole-time equivalents of which some 179 w.t.e. posts are currently filled. Five posts are currently vacant due to on-going retirements and resignations, etc. within the Service. Even at this current level this represents the highest number of psychologists to be employed within NEPS since the inception of the service in 2000.
Additionally the Deputy may be aware that under the provisions of Budget 2018 I was pleased to announce that NEPS psychologist numbers will expand by a further her 10 posts from the start of the new academic year.
I can inform the Deputy that a national recruitment competition is currently in operation by the Public Appointments Service in conjunction with my Department to replenish NEPS Regional Recruitment Panels to allow for both the filling of the above-mentioned 5 vacancies and the expansion of NEPS number by a further 10 posts.