National Educational Psychological Service

Tuesday, 29 July 2025

Questions (987, 988, 1130, 1136)

Darren O'Rourke

Question:

987. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education and Youth the estimated number of additional NEPS educational psychologists needed for 2025-2026 to keep pace with public need. [40755/25]

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Darren O'Rourke

Question:

988. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education and Youth the estimated cost of providing ten, up to a maximum of 100, additional NEPS educational psychologists to the system. [40756/25]

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Darren O'Rourke

Question:

1130. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of educational psychologists working in NEPS to date. [42507/25]

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Darren O'Rourke

Question:

1136. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of additional NEPS educational psychologists that are needed for 2025/2026 to keep up with public need. [42513/25]

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Written answers

Minister for Education and Youth

I propose to take Questions Nos. 987, 988, 1130 and 1136 together.

I thank the Deputy for his questions regarding my Department's National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS).

NEPS provides all schools with:

• psychological support in the event of a critical incident,

• the School Staff Support and Development Service, to build school capability to provide a comprehensive continuum of support in schools,

• ongoing access to advice and support for schools,

• a casework service for individual children where there is a need for intensive consultation and assessment via a NEPS psychologist or through the Scheme for the Commissioning of Psychological Assessments (SCPA), and

• an advisory service to schools where a psychologist is not available due to a vacancy.

On the Deputy’s question on costs, I can advise that the estimated average full year salary costs for a given number of psychologists is as follows:

• 10 = €998,617.5

• 20 = €1,997,235

• 30 = €2,995,852

• 40 = €3,994,470

• 50 = €4,993,087

• 60 = €5,991,705

• 70 = €6,990,322.5

• 80 = €7,988,940

• 90 = €8,987,557.5

• 100 = €9,986,175

These figures include employer PRSI costs. These figures do not include non-pay costs associated with the employment of an educational psychologist.

The number of educational psychologists currently employed in NEPS stands at 234 whole time equivalents across six regions.

On the Deputy's questions on additional psychologists, I can advise that NEPS workforce planning takes account of current and projected need to ensure a sufficient number of educational psychologist posts are sanctioned to meet said need. However, a shortage of suitably qualified educational psychologists within Ireland has led to a number of vacancies within NEPS.

I can assure the Deputy, however, that every effort is being made by my department to bridge this gap. Since January 2023, NEPS has supported bursaries for Trainee Educational Psychologists who are enrolled in the University College Dublin Professional Doctorate in Educational Psychology and Mary Immaculate College Limerick’s Professional Doctorate in Educational and Child Psychology.

In March of this year, I announced that the bursary scheme will be extended to support Maynooth University’s new Professional Doctorate in Educational Psychology programme which will begin this September.

Those in receipt of a bursary commit to joining NEPS upon graduation. Therefore, it is expected that 70 Trainee Educational Psychologists in receipt of a bursary will join NEPS upon graduation over the coming years.

In addition, Public Appointments Service recently concluded a recruitment campaign for Educational Psychologists and successful candidates should be appointed very shortly.

Question No. 988 answered with Question No. 987.