Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 1 February 2022
552. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Social Protection if her Department has considered increasing the base rate for the school meals programme; her views on whether the €1.40 that is currently paid to providers for supplying one substantial item plus one small item plus one drink is minimal in view of inflation and cost of living increases; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4869/22]
View answerThe 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.
A budget of €68.1 million has been provided for the scheme in 2022.
Funding under the school meals (local projects) scheme can be provided for breakfast, snack, lunch, dinner, hot meals and afterschool clubs and is based on a maximum rate per child per day, depending on the type of meal being provided e.g. €1.40 per child per day where a cold lunch is being provided, €1.90 per child per day where a dinner is being provided, and €2.90 per child per day where school Meal is being provided. Funding for the dinner option provide a hot meal, but is different from the Hot Meals, in that they tend to be provided by schools with onsite cooking facilities whereas food for Hot School Meals option is cooked offsite and either delivered hot or reheated in the school.
Following the publication of nutrition standards for school meals in 2017, an examination of CPI data showed that the overall trend since end 2012 has been a reduction in the price of the types of food generally supplied under the school meals scheme. An examination of costs of the types of food to be supplied under the standards showed that the foods were generally affordable in the main supermarkets within the current rates, noting that suppliers would be achieving better value when purchasing in bulk. Principals are expected to manage the funding allocated to their school and seek value for money as well as managing absences from school.
I am committed to continuing to grow the school meals programme and in particular the hot school meal element of the programme, building further on the significant extension announced as part of Budget 2022. In this regard, I have commissioned an evaluation of the school meals programme to be undertaken in 2022 to inform future policy decisions on the scheme.
I trust that this clarifies the position for the Deputy.
