Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 12 November 2013
229. Deputy Derek Nolan asked the Minister for Social Protection the average amount allocated per child and per school through funding for breakfast or lunch clubs in schools around the country; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48366/13]
View answer230. Deputy Derek Nolan asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of DEIS band 1 and DEIS band 2 schools in Galway West that receive breakfast or lunch club funding; if any school has increased its funding allocation by changing from a breakfast club to a lunch club; the amount by which said schools have increased their allocation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48367/13]
View answer231. Deputy Derek Nolan asked the Minister for Social Protection if any school has increased its breakfast or lunch club funding allocation in the past year; if any school has increased its funding allocation by changing from a breakfast club to a lunch club; the amount by which said schools have increased their allocation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48368/13]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 229 to 231, inclusive, together.
The 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 scheme (SMLPS) 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.
Funding under the school meals scheme can be provided for breakfast, snack, lunch, dinner and afterschool clubs. Responsibility for the type of food club and its operation lies with the school/organisation concerned. Priority for funding under the scheme is given to schools which are part of the Department of Education and Skills’ initiative for disadvantaged schools, ‘Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools’ (DEIS). The school meals scheme does not differentiate between DEIS bands.
A total of some 1,000 organisations, with 1,240 associated schools/preschools received funding under the SMLPS for the school year 2012/13, benefitting almost 147,000 pupils. Total expenditure on this scheme in 2012 was some €34 million, providing an average rate of approximately €1.30 per child per day and €156 per school/organisation. Schools/organisations benefiting under the scheme operate a wide range of food club modalities and may have other sources of funding for their projects. The application process for the school year 2013/14 is underway and will be finalised shortly as schools establish their clubs.
During the previous school year, some 22 DEIS schools or associated organisations in County Galway received funding under the SMLPS. There were no increased allocations provided to any school over that in the previous year as a result from changing from a breakfast club to a lunch club.
The additional €2m allocated to the school meals scheme for 2013 is being used to extend the scheme to additional DEIS schools. Bringing new schools into the scheme is considered to be the fairest way of ensuring that as many DEIS schools and disadvantaged pupils as possible have access to some level of funding under the programme.
