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Social Welfare Benefits

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 18 May 2021

Tuesday, 18 May 2021

Questions (124)

Pádraig O'Sullivan

Question:

124. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Social Protection if consideration will be given to extending the school meals programme to all schools in the country; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25572/21]

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Written answers

The school meals programme provides funding towards the provision of food to some 1,506 schools and organisations benefitting 230,000 children.  The objective of the programme 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 scheme provides funding for a breakfast or snack and lunch in DEIS schools.

The government has provided €65.1m for the school meals programme this year. 

There are 2,737 schools (2,290 primary and 447 secondary) that do not benefit from the scheme.  The combined enrolment in these schools is 658,546 students.  Extending access to the school meals programme to include all schools to fund the provision of a breakfast/snack and a lunch, which is the current funding available to DEIS schools, would cost an additional €213.5m for a full school year.

Any decision to extend the current provision would need to be considered in a budgetary context. 

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

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