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.