asked the Minister for Local Government and Public Health if he will state what percentage of children attending national schools receive (a) milk, (b) meals, (c) both milk and meals, and (d) neither milk nor meals; and the respective number of schools concerned.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - School Meals.
The Acts relating to school meals apply only to county boroughs, urban districts and towns with town commissioners. In rural areas they are provided in the Gaeltacht areas as set out in the Schedule to the School Meals (Gaeltacht) Acts, 1930-33. School meals generally consist of milk or cocoa with bread and butter or jam. The importance of making milk the basis of school meals has been repeatedly recommended by the Department. In Dublin City the meal consists generally of milk, and sandwiches consisting of bread, butter, and cheese or jam. It is not possible to give the proportion of school children who receive such meals. The numbers of schools in which meals were provided in the year ended 31st March, 1943, were as follows:—Urban areas, 331; Gaeltacht areas, 301.