Fall in number of psychologists available to primary schools

THE number of primary schools with direct access to psychologists has fallen in the last year, with at least half of the schools in 17 counties without a service.

Department of Education figures show that 50% of the country's 3,284 primary schools including special schools have access to psychological assessments directly from the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS). But in February last year, 54% of schools were covered by NEPS.

The service's psychologists assess the requirements of pupils with special educational needs. They are available to all schools at times of critical incidents, such as the tragic deaths of two Dublin schoolboys last week or the Navan bus crash last May.

Since February last year, the number of psychologists attached to the service has fallen from 128 to 121. The percentage of schools with NEPS cover has fallen in 12 counties and remains unchanged in five.

The lowest level of service is available in Limerick, where only 13 of 148 primary schools (9%) are assigned NEPS cover. Counties Kilkenny, with 24% of schools assigned NEPS services, Donegal (26%), Tipperary (33%), Wexford (34%) and Sligo (35%) do not fare much better.

The biggest decline in services was in Kerry, from 97% cover to 63% in one year, while half of schools in Minister of State Síle de Valera's Clare constituency now have a NEPS service, up from just over a quarter in February 2005.

Fine Gael education spokesperson Olwyn Enright, who obtained the figures in parliamentary questions to Education Minister Mary Hanafin, criticised the paltry €2,000 increase in the NEPS budget to €15.3 million for this year.

"The Department of Education has introduced a new model of special needs staffing but it is being left to principals to decide the level of resources needed by children because there are not enough psychologists," she said.

A Department of Education spokesperson said it was about to recruit nine NEPS psychologists and that the appearance of falling numbers may be due to a rise in uptake of career breaks.

Ms Hanafin told the Dáil last week that any increase in NEPS numbers must take account of Government policy on public sector numbers. She said schools which were not assigned NEPS cover had access to assessments through a scheme for commissioning psychological assessments.

But the Irish National Teachers' Organisation (INTO) said primary schools needed a service that balances prevention, assessment and follow-up work.

"Schools also value the consultancy aspects of the service provided by NEPS. The purchase scheme does not provide for this. An expanded service is also needed to provide for more research work in the area of special needs," said INTO general secretary John Carr.

"We demand that the full complement of 200 psychologists be employed as a matter of urgency. Special needs children cannot be the victims of a public service jobs embargo in one of the wealthiest countries in the world."