Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 12 March 2015
44. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if she will provide details of schools in County Kerry currently benefitting from school meals; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10922/15]
View answerThe school meals programme provides funding towards the provision of food services to some 1,600 schools and organisations which benefits over 205,000 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 through which funding is provided directly to participating schools and local and voluntary community groups who run their own school meals projects. Despite pressure on the social protection budget, the Government allocated an additional €2 million for the school meals programme in 2015, providing a total allocation of €39 million. The Department is currently considering options regarding the allocation of the additional funding
Details on the schools and organisations in county Kerry participating in the school meals local projects scheme are being compiled and will be forwarded directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
