asked the Minister for Education if he has received a memorial signed by a large number of Dublin parents requesting an extension of the lunch interval for all school children and the provision of a hot meal for those who cannot conveniently go home for such meal; if he is aware that a special committee appointed by the School Meals Committee, consisting of four members of the School Meals Committee and Messrs Alan P. Dempsey (Dublin Council of Action) and D.J. Hanly (I.N.T.O.), made a recommendation for a hot meal and a break of the day by one hour without any extension of the school hours so as to allow the children to take the meal in comfort; and if, in view of these recommendations and the fact that 67 schools in Dublin avail of the School Meals Acts and that 14 of these have been giving hot meals to the children for some time past, he will take steps to give effect to the recommendation.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Children's School Meals.
The answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. As regards the second part of the question, I have not received any recommendation from the special committee appointed by the School Meals Committee. I may add for the Deputy's information, that managers of National Schools are at liberty, subject to official approval, to extend the interval allowed for recreation from half an hour per day to one hour, or more than one hour in exceptional cases, in order to facilitate arrangements for the supply of school meals to pupils, but not more than half an hour of the recreation period may be included in the minimum period of four hours' secular instruction which must be provided in accordance with the regulations for National Schools.