asked the Minister for Social Welfare the section of the relevant Act which gives the power to school managers to decide whether school meals should be supplied to children or not.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - School Meals.
5.
The answer to the first part of the question is that 98 national schools in Dublin City have not sought to participate in the School Meals Scheme operating under the Education (Provision of Meals) Acts 1914 to 1930.
As regards the second part of the question, it is provided in Section 3 of the Education (Provision of Meals) Act 1914 that free school meals may be supplied only to children attending recognised national schools, who are unable by reason of lack of food to take advantage of the education provided for them. There is no provision for the supply of meals to children attending private schools. There is no information in my Department as to the number of such schools which cater for children of the working class.
Sir, that is not the question I asked. The Parliamentary Secretary has answered a question I put down last week and to which he replied last week. The question I asked today is:—
To ask the Minister for Social Welfare the section of the relevant Act which gives the power to school managers to decide whether school meals should be supplied to children or not.
As I understand the position, unless the school manager applies, no meal is supplied.
We shall get the answer now to the Deputy's question.
I must apologise to the Deputy and to the House. The answer is as follows:—
The Education (Provision of Meals) Acts are merely enabling Acts which permit urban local authorities to provide meals for children in national schools, either on payment or, in the case of needy children, at the expense of the rates where the Minister so authorises. The Acts do not empower the local authorities to insist on supplying meals to any school and, consequently, school managers are free to decide whether or not they should seek to have meals supplied to children in their schools.
School managers can decide. One man can decide. As the Minister is aware, ratepayers have at all times opposed the allocation of money by the local authority for the provision of school meals. If a school manager happened to be a ratepayer and a member of a local authority, he would, in that capacity, oppose the allocation of moneys for school meals. That is the point.
All this seems to be very far away from the original question.
No Sir. I am just trying to point out the danger of one man having the power to say either "Yes" or "No."
The question on the paper asks for the section of the relevant Act which gives the power to school managers to decide whether or not meals should be supplied.
I am pointing out now——
A thousand and one matters might arise from that.
I know, but I am pointing out that it is dangerous to give one man that power.
It is enabling legislation.