Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 20 May 2026
145. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will explain the 4% reduction in the allocation for the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) in the Further Revised Estimates for Public Services; whether this reduction will impact recruitment, waiting times or access to psychological assessments and supports for schools and students; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38151/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraWith regard to the Further Revised Estimates, there has been no reduction in NEPS funding available for services, but rather, there has been a technical reallocation of DEIS Plus funding that was originally allocated to X8 in the 2026 REV, that, on review, is now being moved to the appropriate subhead to support delivery of that measure within the DEIS + program in 2026.
Each year, NEPS staffing levels are evaluated and capacity to serve schools is established. There is currently a nationwide shortage of educational psychologists which has resulted in vacancies . Due to this shortage, it is not possible for all schools to have an assigned NEPS psychologist.
Where a school temporarily does not have an assigned psychologist due to a vacancy, it continues to have access to a range of NEPS services including:
• The NEPS Advisory Support Line. This 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.
• The NEPS National and Regional Support and Development service for school staff also continues to be available to schools. This National and Regional Support and Development 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, through the Scheme for Commissioning Psychological Assessments (SCPA), to a private educational psychologists on the SCPA panel for individual casework where a priority need is established.
With regard to future staffing levels, my department is making every effort to recruit additional educational psychologists to address the shortage. Public jobs run an annual recruitment campaign for the recruitment of educational psychologists.
Since January 2023, NEPS has supported bursaries for trainee educational psychologists enrolled in University College Dublin's 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 support the work of NEPS through trainee placements in the service as part of their studies and commit to joining NEPS upon graduation.
