One in six primary schools have no psychology access
New Department of Education figures show 544 schools out of more than 3,200 mainstream and special schools here cannot access psychological services.
More than 75% of schools in Co Louth and 60% of schools in Co Meath do not have access to a trained psychologist. In contrast, all primary schools in Carlow, Kilkenny, Kerry, Clare, Limerick, Tipperary, Waterford, Westmeath and Roscommon have access to such services.
In Cork, 47 out of almost 360 schools do not have access to a child psychologist.
The Department of Education’s National Educational Psychological Service aims to identify needs of students and advise teachers on appropriate interventions and responses, while it also provides assistance and support to pupils and teachers after critical incidents in schools.
Education Minister Richard Bruton, said 321 schools — almost a third of which are in Dublin — do not have have access to a trained psychologist due to staffing shortages. A further 223 schools have a temporary lack of access to the service due to psychologists on maternity, long-term sick, or carers’ leave.
The Government has committed to increasing staffing levels in the service by 25% with the programme for partnership government stating the number of psychologists in the services will increase to 238 from its sanctioned limit of 173. The figures show 162 whole time equivalent psychologists are employed by the service.
The minister said a new national recruitment competition has been put in place by the Public Appointments Service to fill vacancies in all regions across the country.
