Michael Bell
Question:81 Mr. Bell asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the proposals, if any, he has for the school meals service. [2613/99]
Written Answers - School Meals Scheme.
The school meals scheme is a statutory scheme which assists in the provision of free school meals to certain children attending national schools in specified areas.
While my Department has policy and legal responsibility for the school meals scheme, the scheme is administered by local authorities. My Department has no function in initiating school meals programmes in schools. Its function is confined to reimbursing local authorities up to a maximum of 50 per cent of their expenditure on the provision of such meals and approving participation in the scheme.
In 1997 my Department engaged independent consultants to undertake a full review of the school meals scheme. The consultants report was received by my Department in 1998 and was circulated to the Department of Education and Science and other relevant parties. The report recommended that the scheme should be administered by the Department of Education and Science. My Department intends to initiate a formal evaluation of the school meals scheme shortly, using the consultants report as a basis for that examination.