Students ‘still left waiting months for psychological assessments’

Students are still waiting months for important assessments, despite all schools having access to the public educational psychological service, it was claimed.

Education Minister Ruairi Quinn told the Dáil education committee that staff of the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) were being assigned to every primary and second-level school in the current academic year. Previously, not all schools had access, but those which did not could commission private psychologists to assess children who needed a report when applying for extra teaching supports or, in some cases, a special needs assistant (SNA).

However, Sinn Féin education spokesman Jonathan O’Brien said he understood that schools have a limit of three NEPS psychological assessments a year, meaning children are still left waiting.