IPPN

In the last week of March, IPPN learned from some principals that NEPS had removed service from their schools. We investigated and learned that 29 primary schools in Wicklow and South Dublin were to have their NEPS service withdrawn as part of a "re-ordering" of services. There was dismay and shock at this announcement. Considerable media attention was drawn to this matter after IPPN issued a press release with an article in the Irish Independent and radio coverage on national and local stations.

On 30^th March, it was then announced that this "re-ordering" was not now to take place and that the NEPS service would resume in these schools. IPPN welcomed the reversal of this decision and issued the following statement:

"IPPN (Irish Primary Principals Network) welcomes today's announcement from the Minister for Education and Science, Mary Hanafin, TD restoring the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) service to primary schools in the Wicklow and Dublin areas. Twenty-nine schools had been told recently that they were to lose their NEPS service as a result of a re-ordering.

We also welcome the commitment to the continued expansion of this service. Every child in every school should be able to access the NEPS support service when it is needed. The excellent NEPS service needs to be available in every school as soon as possible. We highlighted this issue because of the deep concern felt by those principals whose schools had been told they were to lose this service. Over 5,000 children would have been affected."