Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 7 November 2017
719. Deputy Pat Deering asked the Minister for Health the proposed changes to the school meals scheme (details supplied) whereby water will no longer qualify as a food item and an alternative food item such as orange juice will have to be selected; the reason this is the case; the estimated impact on healthy eating to pupils by this change; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46302/17]
View answerThe School Meals Scheme is an administrative scheme, operated directly by the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection, which provides funding towards the provision of food to up to 1,700 schools and organisations benefitting up to 250,000 children at a total cost of some €47.5 million in 2017.
The Scheme aims to provide regular, nutritious food to children who are unable, by reason of lack of good quality food, to take full advantage of the education provided for them. The School Meals Programme is an important component of policies to encourage school attendance and extra educational achievement by children, particularly those from the most disadvantaged background. The scheme is not compulsory and should only be applied for if a genuine need exists.
The role of my Department has been the development of Nutrition Standards for School Meals to assist the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection in the implementation of the Scheme. An important outcome of the Nutrition Standards being implemented is that more children will have nourishing food in line with national Healthy Eating Guidelines as well as helping to ensure that the State gets the best value for its financial investment.
The minimum requirement for breakfast club funding is two food items and for lunch or after-school meal is four items and water cannot be substituted for one of the food items. Drinking water should be available to all students throughout the day, and should not be dependent on the school operating the School Meals Scheme. Milk and unsweetened fruit juices are acceptable on breakfast club menus, but neither is specifically required. Other options include cereal, yogurt, cheese and toast. The full range of food options can be seen at the following weblink: www.welfare.ie/en/downloads/NutritionalStandardsForSchoolMeals.pdf.
