Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 24 February 2026
540. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Education and Youth the average waiting time for an educational psychological assessment for suspected dyslexia through the NEPS system; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14645/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraI 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:
• General support and advice from a NEPS psychologist, either through the school’s assigned psychologist or through the NEPS Advisory Support Line. The NEPS Advisory Support line provides access for schools to support and advice from a Senior Educational Psychologist in NEPS via a designated phone line available from Monday to Friday.
• 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 for individual casework where a priority need is established to either a NEPS psychologist or a private educational psychologist on the Scheme for Commissioning Psychological Assessments (SCPA) panel. In order to join the panel, private educational psychologists must meet qualification criteria set by the Department. The scheme is an interim measure intended to supplement the NEPS service and meet current urgent needs for psychological assessment of children and young people.
NEPS does not operate waiting lists. In common with other psychological services and best international practice, NEPS operates on a consultative model of service. There is a focus on the individual assessment work that NEPS carries out in schools, however, assessments are only one aspect of the NEPS service.
NEPS encourages schools to support children and young people using the Continuum of Support, whereby school staff use a problem-solving approach, including school screening (assessment) and evidence-based intervention, for children and young people with learning, emotional or behavioural difficulties. The response to intervention is monitored and recorded in the Student Support File. The teachers, parents and child are involved in this process. This model means that pupils do not need a diagnosis of a disability in order to access additional support in school.
If a school has concerns that a child or young person is not making reasonable progress following evidence informed support and intervention, the school may prioritise the involvement of NEPS to support the identification of need process. The involvement of the NEPS psychologist can be helpful to support the identification of need process.
NEPS has developed a guidance document, Supporting Students with Literacy Difficulties Using the Continuum of Support, with specific versions for primary and post primary schools (available at the following link:
www.gov.ie/en/department-of-education/collections/national-educational-psychological-service-neps-guidelines-tips-and-handouts-for-parents-and-teachers). This guidance document is to support schools to implement a needs-based approach to support children who experience difficulties with literacy, including those with dyslexia.
Training is also being provided by NEPS nationally for all schools (facilitated by local Educational Centres/ESCI), on Supporting Pupils with Literacy Difficulties, using the Continuum of Support.
