Measures have been included in the Finance Bill to provide tax relief to parents who find it necessary to engage private educational psychologists, the Minister for Education and Science, Dr Woods, said.
This initiative was being taken pending the expansion of the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) to all schools nationwide, he said.
The new NEPS agency began in September 1999 with 42 psychologists. There were 82 psychologists now and by December 100 would be employed and 28 more would be recruited.
"Consideration is also being given to the development of school-based testing measures which will provide a more efficient means of identifying some special needs without the need for recourse to full education psychological assessments," he said. In 1998 the Government had agreed that all primary children with special needs should have "an automatic response to their needs".
Primary resource teacher posts had increased from 104 to 950, and special needs assistants had increased from 299 to more than 2,000. There were 240 resource teachers and 135 special needs assistants at second level.
Mr Bernard Durkan (FG) had asked Dr Woods where the inspiration for the increased staffing levels had come from. Dr Woods said the need for 200 psychologists in NEPS "was identified" and a commitment was given to achieve this over five years.
"We're almost in a position," Dr Woods told the Fine Gael spokesman on education, Mr Michael Creed, who asked if there were plans for a regional office network "to facilitate the roll-out of NEPS".
It had been a slow process to build up the necessary staff and resources. But the roll-out for the whole country would begin soon.