Skip to main content
Normal View

School Meals Programme

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 23 July 2019

Tuesday, 23 July 2019

Questions (2643, 2644, 2647, 2793)

Kathleen Funchion

Question:

2643. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the estimated cost of increasing funding to the school meals programme by 40%. [31679/19]

View answer

Kathleen Funchion

Question:

2644. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the estimated cost of ensuring that all DEIS schools have access to school meals programme. [31685/19]

View answer

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

Question:

2647. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the estimated full year cost of providing a breakfast and lunch to all children at primary school level. [32843/19]

View answer

John Brady

Question:

2793. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the status of the hot school meals pilot project; the number of schools that have applied to sign up to the project; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33675/19]

View answer

Written answers

I propose to take Questions Nos. 2643, 2644, 2647 and 2793 together.

The school meals programme provides funding towards the provision of food to some 1,580 schools and organisations benefitting 250,000 children at a total cost of €57.6 million in 2019 representing an increase of €3.6 million over the previous year. The objective of the scheme is to provide regular, nutritious food to children who are unable, due to lack of good quality food, to take full advantage of the education provided to them. The programme is an important component of policies to encourage school attendance and extra educational achievement.

The School Meals Scheme is currently available to all DEIS schools, subject to submission of an application each year. The scheme provides funding for a breakfast or snack for all children and lunch for up to 90% of children in DEIS schools for the entire school year from September to June. Currently 857, out of 896, DEIS schools participate in the scheme. The remainder have chosen not to participate. A total of €43.8 million was allocated to DEIS schools in the 2018/2019 academic year.

Not all DEIS schools apply for the scheme and, out of the schools that do apply, not all schools apply for two clubs for the full enrolment figures. If funding was to be provided to all DEIS schools for a breakfast or snack for all children and lunch for up to 90% of children in DEIS schools the full year cost would be €59.9 million. The full year cost of providing a breakfast and lunch to all children in DEIS schools would be €64.4 million.

Based on the 2019 budgetary allocation of €57.6 million, the additional annual cost of expanding the school meals programme by 40% is €23.04 million.

The full year cost of providing a breakfast and a lunch to all children at primary school level would be €204.4 million. The current full year spend on breakfast and lunch clubs in primary schools is €32.7 million.

As part of Budget 2019, it was announced that DEASP would commence a pilot scheme from September 2019, providing Hot School Meals in 36 primary schools for an estimated 7,200 children at a cost of €1m for 2019 and €2.5m in 2020.

All 3,239 primary schools were issued with an invitation to submit an expression of interest to participate in the pilot. Over 500 expressions of interest were received from Primary Schools across the country.

The 36 schools chosen to participate in the pilot are selected randomly, having regard to geographical spread, numbers enrolled, range of suppliers and the overall budget available for the pilot in 2019 and 2020 (€1m and €2.5 respectively).

The pilot will also be run in Our Lady of Lourdes NS in Goldenbridge for the 2019/20 school year following the Proof of Concept which has been operating there successfully since early this year.

Any increase in the funding of the scheme, can only be considered in a budgetary context.

I trust that this clarifies the position.

Question No. 2645 answered with Question No. 2642.
Top
Share