Thomas Gould
Ceist:221. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of children that received a NEPS assessment in Cork in 2025; and the number on the waiting list. [54111/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraWednesday, 15 July 2026
Ceisteanna (221, 226)
Thomas Gould
Ceist:226. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of NEPS psychologists employed in Cork in each of the past five years respectively, in tabular form. [54144/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
I propose to take Questions Nos. 221 and 226 together.
I would like to take this opportunity to outline 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.
• Support from a NEPS psychologist in the event of a Critical Incident.
• National and Regional Support and Development service for school staff.
• 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.
I can advise the deputy that NEPS does not operate waiting lists. In common with other psychological services and best international practice, NEPS operates on a consultative model of service. NEPS is made up of six administrative regions with a number of counties in each region. It is therefore not possible to provide assessment figures for individual counties. I can advise the deputy, however, that NEPS psychologists provide a casework service for approximately 9000 children per annum nationwide. This casework service is in addition to the other supports provided by NEPS which are outlined above.
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 experiencing difficulties in the school context. The response to intervention is monitored and recorded in the Student Support File. The teachers, parents and child are involved in this process. Under this model, a diagnosis is not required for a child or young person to access supports that can be implemented at school level in mainstream classes, such as special education teaching and SNA support.
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.
County Cork is part of NEPS Region 5 along with Counties Clare and Kerry. Prior to the school year 2024/25 Cork was part of the Mid Munster region. This region also included Cork and Tipperary South. In the 2020/21 school year there were 30 whole time equivalents working in the Mid Munster region. There are currently 42 whole time equivalents working across NEPS region 5. In 2022 there were 225 whole-time equivalent psychologists employed in NEPS and today there are 235.
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.