Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 19 November 2014
65. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will provide in tabular form since 2008 the total amounts drawn down by Ireland for the school milk scheme and the school fruit scheme; the number of schools and pupils which benefit from the scheme per county; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44547/14]
View answerThe School Milk Scheme (SMS) was introduced in 1977, and over 20 million EU children benefited from it in 2011/2012, an 18% jump compared with 2010/2011. The SMS has operated in Ireland since 1982 with the objective of promoting and encouraging the consumption of milk among school children. Its management is primarily through the National Dairy Council (NDC) in conjunction with the co-ops, but take-up is quite limited on a geographical level. The Scheme provides for the payment of aid for milk products to school pupils and is co-financed by the EU and the MS, with my Department being the responsible Department in Ireland. The aid rates were reduced by approximately 7% per annum from 2004 to 2007 in line with the general reductions in support prices brought about by the 2003 Mid Term Review of the CAP. However, the Exchequer has made up for this reduction in the EU contribution, and the overall aid rates have been maintained at €27.89/100kg. Since 2007 the EU contribution is €18.15/100kg, with the balance of €9.74/100kg made up by the Exchequer.
In terms of some of the figures requested by the Deputy, the table below sets out some of the key aggregates. I will also undertake to forward some more detailed breakdowns in terms of the scheme coverage per county in tabular format.
|
School Year |
Number of Participating Schools |
Estimated number of pupils |
Money drawn down by Ireland |
|
2008-2009 |
1271 |
66,990 |
€553,509 |
|
2009-2010 |
1241 |
59,539 |
€491,940 |
|
2010-2011 |
1133 |
56,040 |
€463,035 |
|
2011-2012 |
1090 |
56,323 |
€465,369 |
|
2012-2013 |
1075 |
53,259 |
€440,050 |
|
2013-2014 |
1052 |
50,484 |
€417,121 |
The EU School Fruit Scheme commenced in 2009 and is run by Bord Bia as part of the Food Dudes programme to develop a taste for fruit and vegetables among primary schoolchildren. All operational matters including details of schools, numbers of pupils and locations, come under their operational remit. An annual Strategy document is submitted by my Department to the EU Commission setting out planned total target figures for schools/pupils in the coming school year. To date, these have been as follows:
|
School Year |
Number of Participating Schools |
Estimated number of pupils |
Money drawn down by Ireland |
|
2009-2010 |
383 |
54,000 |
€475,422 |
|
2010-2011 |
385 |
59,500 |
€509,095 |
|
2011-2012 |
390 |
58,000 |
€510,665 |
|
2012-2013 |
390 |
61,000 |
€430,388 |
|
2013-2014 |
385 |
70,455 |
€371,301 |
|
2014-2015 |
884 |
141,359 |
The national rollout of the School Fruit and Vegetable Scheme/Food Dudes will be completed this year and the increased numbers planned for 2014-2015 reflect a new boost programme developed to enable the School Fruit and Vegetable Scheme/Food Dudes to reach more primary schools annually.
