A report has identified "serious gaps" in the provision of psychological services for school students, with only one educational psychologist for every 10,000.
The report, by a Department of Education planning group, recommends that an independent National Educational Psychological Service Agency be set up. It says there should also be an increase in the number of educational psychologists from the current figure of 84 to 200 over the next five years.
The report estimates that about 11.2 per cent of the school population of nearly 815,000 students may be in need of referral to an educational psychologist. These include those suffering from a significant physical, sensory, intellectual or emotional disability; a mild or specific learning disability; and emotional or behavioural disorders.
The planning group concludes that there is no provision of psychological services for students in most primary schools and "extremely limited" provision for the vast majority of second-level students. Students with hearing and visual impairments have "very limited" provision, as do other students with special educational needs.
Students from the travelling community do not appear to have any particular priority in this area, and neither do children from refugee families. Educationally-disadvantaged young people on Youthreach schemes have "very limited access" to such services.
The Minister for Education, Mr Martin, said at the report's presentation this week that the group's target of 200 psychologists could be achieved, but would depend on availability of resources. He pledged to act on the group's other main recommendation, to establish a National Educational Psychological Service Agency.
The Teachers' Union of Ireland president, Mr Joe Carolan, said that for children's psychological needs to be properly met there should be a target ratio of one psychologist to every 3,000 pupils, requiring a total of 300 educational psychologists.