If implemented this motion would, in addition to fulfilling the primary purpose at which it is aimed, help even in a small way to reduce the milk surplus at home. We hear much these days of the various mountains of agricultural products in the EEC. It should be our aim to help to reduce these mountains.
I should like to deal briefly with the need for the scheme we are advocating. We hear a fair deal from the Minister for Health about the various health problems and we are given some advice on how to deal with those problems. Nobody can deny the enormous benefits this scheme could have for our school-going children. The principal of a large school during the past three months spoke to parents about two major problems confronting our school-going children at the moment. The first one is late viewing of television, which we are not discussing tonight. The second one is the question of children going to school after a very poor breakfast, which we are discussing tonight.
The Minister raised his eyebrows at me last night when I quoted some figures taken from a private survey carried out in a couple of our schools. He may ask me what authority I have to carry out such a private survey. Firstly, I am a parent and, secondly, I am chairman of the vocational committee in Wexford and a member of two boards. I mentioned those facts to Deputy Bruton before he spoke last night because I felt they should be brought up in this debate. This debate, if it does no other good, has demonstrated a problem with our school-going children.
I stated here last night that up to 25 per cent of the children attending our schools go to school after a very poor breakfast and a small percentage go with no breakfast at all. We quantified the number of children who came to school without any breakfast. This was in the region of between 4 per cent and 5 per cent. Deputy Bruton gave that figure but he did not tell the House that at least 20 per cent of our children across the country go to school with a very poor breakfast of tea, bread and butter. I am glad to see that the Evening Herald have taken up this story and checked it. I wonder if the Minister has seen it. They have given more figures than we gave last night.
This article says that the House was told last night that every 30 children out of 100 go without breakfast while 40 per cent have only tea, bread, and butter before leaving for school. It says that the problem of hungry children is nationwide. There is a lot of information in this article. The writer has checked the facts with the principals of certain schools. It also gives another figure which seems to me to be rather high. The writer of the article maintains that up to 7 per cent of our children from poor areas have to go hungry to school and stay hungry all day. The Minister should look into some of those facts before the end of this debate.
Those children would benefit greatly from milk. Milk could be regarded as a medicine to hungry children. It has a high nutrient content. I would like to stress that we should help children to acquire a taste for milk at a young age. If they acquire a taste for milk they will continue to drink it thereby benefiting their general health. It is right to describe milk as relatively inexpensive, particularly when we compare the price of it at 8p a pint with the price of minerals at 20p for a small bottle. I believe that parents give their children too much trash for their school lunches. They give them biscuits, chocolates and minerals, which are not healthy foods. They cannot be compared with the benefits children would derive from half a pint of milk a day. People sometimes talk about milk being a complete food. I do not agree with that, but I consider it is a great basic food.
There are a few other products, apart from milk, which can come under this scheme, one of which is yoghurt I understand that while cheese does not qualify a small effort by us would allow it to qualify. Yoghurt is a relatively new milk product in this country and contains a very high percentage of milk and fruit. It is a little expensive but I believe it will qualify under this grant. If it was introduced to our schools it would become very popular and would be very widely used.
The Minister last night spent some time talking about the amount of milk we consume in comparison with other EEC countries, but he did not tell us that we are one of the lowest as far as the consumption of cheese is concerned. Cheese is a very good non-fat food. It would be widely used if a taste were developed for it. I believe that if the Minister introduced this scheme the EEC would have no objection to having cheese come in under it.
Milk is a very perishable commodity. Some people ask why children do not bring it to school in a bottle. Unfortunately, if the temperature is not right the bacteria count in the milk will rise rapidly with the result that it develops a bad taste. We should not encourage children to bring milk to school in bottles.
The EEC aid would also permit us to instal proper equipment in the schools. That is an important point. The Minister expressed the view last night that cold milk was not good for children but it is possible to heat it, to use it to make cocoa or to give children sweetened milk. I understand that there is electricity in all our schools and that coolers, sweeteners and fridges which operate on electricity can be bought under this scheme. If those machines were installed in schools our children could be offered a high standard product and they would then be encouraged to drink the milk.
It should be remembered that in the production and processing of milk a high labour content is involved. It starts in the milking parlour, goes to the creameries and from there is delivered to the schools. There is labour involved at all stages. If this scheme was introduced I have no doubt that we would get a return in that direction. It should also be remembered that farmers have a great interest in such a scheme. I told the Minister last night that his amendment was an attempt to drag a red herring through our motion. That amendment requests the EEC to pay for a scheme that is already provided for and in existence. The Minister is begging for subsidies for that scheme.