Hanafin fails to deliver on psych staff

SCHOOLS have access to only six more full-time educational psychologists than they had five years ago, according to Department of Education figures.

Staff of the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) are assigned to schools and assess students with learning difficulties to determine the level of extra support they might need.

Education Minister Mary Hanafin promised exactly a year ago that NEPS staff numbers would rise to 158 psychologists by the end of the year.

But in the week when the country’s 4,000 schools closed for Christmas, NEPS had just 138 psychologists — and the equivalent of 126.7 psychologists when work-sharing arrangements and other types of leave are taken into account. Of those, four psychologists are working for other services, leaving the full-time services of just 122.7 NEPS staff for school assessments.

Ms Hanafin provided the figures in answer to a Dáil question from Fine Gael education spokesperson Brian Hayes.

The Department of Education said the number of NEPS psychologists is expected to rise to 140 by mid-January and 29 more will be recruited during the year. A spokesperson said all schools have access to the Scheme for Commission Psychological Assessments, which funded 4,400 assessments in the last academic year, in the same period that NEPS psychologists carried out almost 5,800 assessments.

But Mr Hayes said the figures highlight the failure of the minister and her department to properly resource NEPS.

“We have a new promise now for the end of 2008 which is only roughly the same as the promise made before the election. But even then, we’re never going to have the full complement of staff because of job-sharing and other arrangements,” he said.

Mr Hayes said NEPS, the National Council for Special Education and the speech and language services of the Health Service Executive should be merged into one organisation.

“NEPS is unable to have an independent voice because it’s still controlled by the Department of Education,” he said.

The Irish National Teachers’ Organisation (INTO) said continuous support from a designated psychologist is essential for children with special needs.

“It is vital that special needs are identified early and learning programmes developed so that these children can reach their full potential. There are clear targets for extra NEPS staff in the social partnership agreement, and the minister must ensure those commitments are kept,” said INTO general secretary John Carr.