Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 8 October 2025
198. Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil asked the Minister for Education and Youth the reason the national educational psychological service withdrew a dedicated psychologist from two primary schools (detailed supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54012/25]
View answer199. Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil asked the Minister for Education and Youth the reason the national educational psychological service psychologist hours previously allocated to two primary schools (details supplied) were redeployed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54013/25]
View answer200. Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil asked the Minister for Education and Youth the reason for allocating only one national educational psychological service assessment annually to a primary school with over 600 pupils (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54014/25]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 198, 199 and 200 together.
I thank the Deputy for her questions regarding service provision to specific schools by my department's National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS).
I would like to take this opportunity to outline the work of my department in this area more broadly and the role of NEPS. All schools have access to:
• a NEPS psychologist for general support and advice.
• support from a NEPS psychologist in the event of a Critical Incident.
• National and Regional Support and Development service for school staff, which is advertised through the Education Support Centres of Ireland and covers areas such as trauma informed practice, cluster group support for post-primary special education teachers and special class teachers, training for Student Support Teams and supporting reluctant school attendance/school avoidance behaviour.
• access to either a NEPS psychologist or a SCPA psychologist for individual pupil casework where a priority need is established. SCPA – the Scheme for Commissioning Psychological Assessments - is operated through the use of a panel of psychologists who must meet qualification criteria set by the Department. It is an interim measure intended to supplement the NEPS service and meet current urgent needs for psychological assessment of children and young people.
Where a school temporarily does not have an assigned psychologist due to a vacancy, a psychologist from the local NEPS team undertakes the role of advisory psychologist to respond to queries that the school may have. These schools continue to have access to critical incident response, advisory support, and the support and development Service delivered by their local NEPS office.
NEPS encourages all schools to use the Continuum of Support Model a continuum-based assessment and intervention process whereby each school takes responsibility for initial assessment, educational planning and remedial intervention for children and young people with learning, emotional or behavioural difficulties. Under this model, a child or young person does not require a psychological assessment diagnosis in order to access additional support at school.
My department is making every effort to recruit additional educational psychologists. 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. This has also been extended to students enrolled in the new professional doctorate in educational psychology in Maynooth University. Those in receipt of a bursary commit to joining NEPS upon graduation. There are over 70 Trainee Educational Psychologists in receipt of a bursary who are expected to join NEPS upon graduation.
The Public Appointments Service undertook a recruitment campaign for Educational Psychologists recently and successful candidates will shortly be appointed.
