asked the Minister for Social Welfare whether he has received a resolution from the Kanturk Parish Council, County Cork, requesting that the provisions of the Education (Provision of Meals) Acts be extended to non-urban areas; whether, with a view to meeting the wishes of that council and of many other such councils, he will make arrangements for the provision of free meals for children attending the Kanturk National Schools, especially for those whose parents are necessitous and for those who are obliged to travel long distances to school; and if so, if he will give favourable and immediate consideration to the request embodied in the resolution, as the need for the provision of free meals for certain school children is urgent under present circumstances.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Free Meals for School Children (Kanturk).
The resolution referred to was received. The Education (Provision of Meals) Acts do not authorise the provision of meals to children attending schools in rural areas. It is not proposed to introduce further legislation extending those powers to rural areas.