Olwyn Enright
Question:267 Ms Enright asked the Minister for Education and Science the number of primary and secondary pupils that receive a school meal each day; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28714/04]
View answerWednesday, 10 November 2004
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Written answers
My colleague, the Minister for Social and Family Affairs, administers the school meals scheme, which aims to supplement the nutritional intake of pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds in order to allow them to fulfil their potential within the educational system and also to reduce the risk of early school leaving.
Under this scheme in 2003, school meals were provided in 729 primary and post-primary schools, encompassing approximately 76,000 pupils, at a cost of €3.3 million. Increased provision of €6 million is being made available to support the school meals scheme in 2004. Officials in my Department are co-operating with the Department of Social and Family Affairs on an ongoing basis with a view to further expanding the number of schools participating in the scheme, as well as ensuring that available resources are targeted at those pupils most in need.