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School Meals Programme

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 25 May 2021

Tuesday, 25 May 2021

Questions (387, 388, 389, 390, 391, 392, 393, 394, 395, 396)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

Question:

387. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of schools that provide school meals by county in tabular form. [27847/21]

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Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

Question:

388. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of primary schools that provide school meals by county in tabular form. [27848/21]

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Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

Question:

389. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of post-primary schools that provide school meals by county in tabular form. [27849/21]

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Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

Question:

390. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of special schools that provide school meals by county in tabular form. [27850/21]

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Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

Question:

391. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of alternative education settings including youthreach and related schemes that provide school meals by county in tabular form. [27851/21]

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Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

Question:

392. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Social Protection the percentage of schools that provide school meals. [27852/21]

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Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

Question:

393. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Social Protection the percentage of primary schools that provide school meals. [27853/21]

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Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

Question:

394. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Social Protection the percentage of post-primary schools that provide school meals. [27854/21]

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Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

Question:

395. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Social Protection the percentage of special schools that provide school meals. [27855/21]

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Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

Question:

396. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Social Protection the percentage of alternative education settings including youthreach and related schemes that provide school meals. [27856/21]

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Written answers

I propose to take Questions Nos. 387 to 396, inclusive, together.

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 Programme provides funding towards food services for disadvantaged school children through two schemes: The urban school meals scheme and the school meals (local projects) scheme. The Urban School Meals Scheme for primary schools is operated and administered by local authorities and is part-financed by my department. 44,095 pupils in 301 primary schools benefit from the Urban School Meals Scheme. 188 of these schools also benefit from funding for school meals through the local projects scheme.

The school meals (local projects) scheme provides funding towards the provision of food to schools and organisations. 214,574 students in 1,393 schools and organisations benefit from the school meals (local projects) scheme.

In recent years entry to the school meals programme has been confined to DEIS schools in addition to schools identified by Department of Education and Skills as having levels of concentrated disadvantage that would benefit from access to the programme. Prior to the introduction of DEIS in 2005, all schools and organisations that were part of one of a number of Department of Education and Skills’ initiatives for disadvantaged schools were eligible to participate in the programme, which included Breaking the Cycle, Giving Children an Even Break, the Disadvantaged Area Scheme, Home School Community Liaison and the School Completion Programme. These schools and organisations have continued to remain in the programme. Participation in the scheme is entirely voluntary with the onus being on the individual eligible schools to make an application. Schools and organisations must reapply for funding in advance of each school year and are required to submit detailed records at the end of the school year. Funding is based on a rate of payment per meal, per child, per day.

The number of schools, primary schools, post-primary schools, special schools and alternative education settings that provide school meals by county in tabular form is in table 1 of the attached Tabular Statement.

The percentage of primary schools, post-primary schools, special schools and alternative education settings that provide school meals in tabular form is in table 2 of the below Tabular Statement.

These are the most up to date figures. Applications are still being accepted from schools/organisations who were in the scheme last year and are currently finalising their applications for the current year.

I trust that this clarifies the position for the Deputy.

Tabular Statement

Table 1 – Number providing School Meals by County

County

Primary Schools

Post-Primary Schools

Special Schools

Alternative Education Settings

Number of Schools

Carlow

18

6

1

5

30

Cavan

13

3

1

10

27

Clare

17

5

2

6

30

Cork

52

26

9

26

113

Donegal

120

19

2

9

150

Dublin

183

70

15

79

347

Galway

45

12

5

5

67

Kerry

31

8

2

10

51

Kildare

13

7

1

1

22

Kilkenny

7

6

4

4

21

Laois

11

2

2

1

16

Leitrim

12

0

0

3

15

Limerick

23

10

3

11

47

Longford

11

7

1

2

21

Louth

16

9

1

3

29

Mayo

77

14

4

1

96

Meath

11

5

2

1

19

Monaghan

14

6

0

9

29

Offaly

16

5

1

2

24

Roscommon

21

4

2

5

32

Sligo

21

5

1

2

29

Tipperary

31

11

3

8

53

Waterford

14

6

2

10

32

Westmeath

13

7

2

3

25

Wexford

29

10

2

8

49

Wicklow

11

4

2

2

19

Table 2 – Percentage providing School Meals

Total Number

Number providing School Meals

% Providing School Meals

Primary Schools

3,107

830

26.71%

Post-Primary Schools

730

267

36.58%

Special Schools

134

70

52.24%

Alternative Educations Settings

Not available*

226

Not Available

* The total number of these types of organisations is not held.

Question No. 388 answered with Question No. 387.
Question No. 389 answered with Question No. 387.
Question No. 390 answered with Question No. 387.
Question No. 391 answered with Question No. 387.
Question No. 392 answered with Question No. 387.
Question No. 393 answered with Question No. 387.
Question No. 394 answered with Question No. 387.
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