Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 18 June 2013
233. Deputy John Lyons asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will provide the details of the ten schools to be admitted to the school meals programme for the new academic year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28957/13]
View answerThe school meals programme provides funding towards the provision of food services for disadvantaged children through two schemes. The first is the statutory urban school meals scheme, operated by local authorities and part-financed by the Department. The second is the school meals local projects schemes through which funding is provided directly to participating schools and local and voluntary community groups who run their own school meals projects. The Government has allocated an additional €2 million for the school meals programme in 2013, providing a total allocation of €37 million.
Priority for funding under the school meals locals projects scheme is given to schools which are part of the Department of Education & Skills’ initiative for disadvantaged schools, ‘Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools’ (DEIS). The Department wrote to approximately 170 DEIS schools requesting expressions of interest in participating in the school meals scheme for the coming school year. To date, some 75 schools have expressed an interest in participating in the scheme and are expected to join the scheme from September 2013.
The Department also contacted a further 11 schools/groups who had already made an application to join the scheme. These schools were invited to participate in the scheme for the remainder of the current school year. One group, a School Completion Programme in Bray Co. Wicklow, has accepted and is participating in the scheme since May 2013. This programme is providing a food club for children attending St. Fergal’s Senior National School in Ballywaltram, Bray, Co. Wicklow. It is expected that the remaining schools will join the scheme from September 2013. The Department is currently considering all applications for the scheme for the coming academic year.
