Máirín Quill
Question:38 Miss Quill asked the Minister for Social Welfare the amount of money his Department paid to various County, County Borough and Urban District Councils and Town Commissioners for school meals. [3195/95]
Written Answers. - School Meals Payments.
The Social Welfare (Consolidation) Act, 1993 enables county, county borough, urban district councils and Town Commissioners to make arrangments for the provision of meals for children attending national schools in their districts. The Department of Social Welfare reimburses each local authority up to a maximum of 50 per cent of their expenditure on the provision of such meals. Approximately 72,000 children are benefiting under the scheme.
The expenditure on the school meals scheme in 1994 broken down by local authority is set out in the following tabular statement which I will make available to the Deputy. This shows that a total of £720,129 was spent on the scheme in 1994. The legislation does not provide for participation by county councils in the scheme. The Department of Social Welfare does not have an initiating role and it is a matter for local authorities to do so.
|
Local Authority |
Expenditure |
|
County Borough Council |
£ |
|
Clonmel |
993 |
|
Cork |
20,000 |
|
Dublin |
596,657 |
|
Kilkenny |
1,075 |
|
Limerick |
26,621 |
|
Waterford |
8,513 |
|
Wexford |
7,080 |
|
Total |
660,939 |
|
Urban District Council |
|
|
Ballina |
1,580 |
|
Ballinasloe |
629 |
|
Bray |
7,758 |
|
Carlow |
2,161 |
|
Dungarvan |
4,985 |
|
Enniscorthy |
7,280 |
|
Kells |
801 |
|
Kilrush |
342 |
|
Listowel |
14 |
|
Longford |
180 |
|
Mallow |
4,230 |
|
Midleton |
1,571 |
|
Monaghan |
243 |
|
New Ross |
7,866 |
|
Navan |
1,274 |
|
Thurles |
4,206 |
|
Tralee |
1,170 |
|
Trim |
1,245 |
|
Tullamore |
651 |
|
Total |
48,186 |
|
County Council* |
|
|
Dún Laoghaire/Rathdown |
6,307 |
|
Total |
6,307 |
|
Town Commissioners |
|
|
Ballyshannon |
151 |
|
Boyle |
79 |
|
Gorey |
4,194 |
|
Mountmellick |
273 |
|
Total |
4,697 |
|
Grand Total |
720,129 |
Note: The legislation enables county borough councils, urban district councils and town commissioners to make arrangements under the urban school meals scheme. County councils are not included; however, following the abolition of the borough of Dún Laoghaire which participated in the school meals scheme the arrangements were continued in respect of Dún Laoghaire/Rathdown County Council. Section 39 of the Local Government (Dublin) Act, 1993 provides the legislative basis for the continuation.