Sorca Clarke
Ceist:152. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Education the funding provided for NEPS services in Longford and Westmeath in each of the years 2019 to date, in tabular form. [45791/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraThursday, 7 November 2024
Ceisteanna (152)
Freagraí scríofa
My Department’s National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) provides educational psychological support to all primary and post-primary, and special 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 where there is need via a NEPS psychologist or through the Scheme for the Commissioning of Psychological Assessments.
The budget allocation for NEPS in 2024 is €32.3m and this allocation covers both pay and non-pay costs. A further €5m has also been allocated for the Counselling in Primary Schools Pilot. This brings the overall budget for NEPS in 2024 to a level of €37.3m. This has risen from a figure of €20.8m in 2019.
NEPS psychologists work within a regional structure serving the needs of schools in their immediate vicinity. NEPS is made up of six regions – Longford and Westmeath are in NEPS Region 1 along with Offaly, Laois, South Dublin, and Kildare. NEPS is continuing to recruit educational psychologists.