asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will make an order which would allow Dublin Corporation to apply its school meals scheme to the houses and flats in the Ballymun scheme which are situated outside the corporation boundary.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Dublin School Meals Scheme.
14.
I have no power to make such an order. The legislation governing these schemes empowers county borough councils, urban district councils and town commissioners to arrange for the provision of meals for school children attending national schools in their areas. The schools in the Ballymun estate lie outside the Dublin County Borough area and do not come within the Dublin Corporation's school meals scheme.
Has the Minister any intention of changing the provision which pertains to Ballymun schools? There are a large number of children attending these schools from inside the city area and they cannot get free meals. Will the Minister try to rectify the injustice which the children are suffering on account of the bureaucracy which his Department is ultimately responsible for?
It is not a question of bureaucracy. Existing legislation does not permit school meals to be extended unless the corporation boundary is extended and that would be a matter for the Minister for Local Government.
Does the rule apply to the location of the school or to the children? All these children live within the city boundaries. The tenants of the Ballymun flats are all corporation tenants and I cannot therefore see the logic of saying that the children cannot get school meals.
They are paying very high rents.
Could the Minister tell the House the original purpose of the distinction between county areas and borough areas in this context?
I take it it was originally designed to apply to cities and urban areas.
As most of these people came from inside the city area to be rehoused in Ballymun surely the Minister could provide meals for the children?
The scheme only applies to county borough councils and urban district councils as I stated in the reply.
Surely the Minister is aware that every person in Ballymun is a tenant of Dublin Corporation?
Of course.
One has to have a borderline somewhere.
They are paying rent to Dublin Corporation.
Existing legislation does not permit it being done.
Existing legislation is deficient.
(Cavan): Would the Minister change the legislation?
It is a matter for the Minister for Local Government.