A number of schools in the region are currently without a psychologist service.
29 Wexford schools and 10 in Waterford do not have a National Educational Psychological Service assigned to them.
NEPS works with both primary and post-primary school and is concerned with learning, behaviour, social and emotional development.
Wexford TD James Browne said, "The new figures we have obtained are deeply worrying and clearly demonstrate the crisis that the school psychologist service is currently going through.
It’s extraordinary that 29 schools in Wexford do not have access to a professional psychologist when you consider the extreme stresses that many children undergo as they grow older."
He went on to say, "we have known for some time that the school psychologist service is drastically understaffed.
For example, in most instances it takes over a year for students to be assessed for special education needs. This is having a detrimental impact on these children’s development as it affects their access to Resource Teaching Hours and Learning Supports.
Overall children in these schools have limited access to psychological supports and counselling services when a crisis presents."
