Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 24 July 2018
455. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to increase the number of National Educational Psychological Service psychologists by 20 to progressively achieve a target of 238; the estimated cost of same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33541/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs 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.
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 whole-time equivalent posts are currently filled. Five posts are currently vacant due to ongoing 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 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 five vacancies and the expansion of NEPS number by a further ten posts.
