asked the Minister for Education if in view of the great hardship suffered by large numbers of rural schoolchildren who cannot return home for a mid-day meal he will treat as urgent the extension of the terms of existing school-meals legislation to enable provision to be made for the supply of at least a cup of hot soup for both primary and post-primary students in all parts of the State in the same way as provision is at present made for urban primary pupils.
Ceisteanna — Questions. Oral Answers. - School Meals.
41.
Any question of amending the existing legislation in relation to school meals would be a matter for the Minister for Social Welfare.
Has the Minister any information as to when it is the intention of his colleague to move in relation to school meals?
That is a matter in which there is a heavy financial commitment. It concerns the Government as a whole. At present local authorities are operating such a scheme in many urban areas.
The question relates to extending the scheme into rural areas.
The financial commitments will have to be examined. No doubt it would be desirable to extend the school meals provision but the question of priority in regard to financial resources and commitments in regard to education generally in the light of the financial resources available must be considered.
Bearing in mind that there is a scheme operating in the urban areas I am sure the Minister will agree that it is only a partial scheme and that there is need for improvement in that regard. Would it be too much to suggest that the Ministers for Education, Social Welfare and Local Government get together to evolve some solution to the problem of providing proper school meals for children?
This is something that everybody agrees is desirable. It is a question of costing it out and that is being done at the moment.
Will the Minister put it on the agenda for the next Cabinet meeting?
We do not start discussing Cabinet meetings agenda here.
What criteria must be met in respect of the provision of these meals?
To put a meal room at the disposal of the local authorities, mainly. In urban centres and some rural areas school meals are provided but there is no comprehensive scheme for the whole country. This is a matter with very substantial financial implications and it will have to be costed properly. This we are doing at the moment. We are having it investigated all along the line to indicate what the financial commitments of the scheme would be. This must be done first.
I am sure the Minister is aware of the waste caused at present by giving children a bottle of cold milk and sandwiches that they could know the day of the week by.
Nobody would argue about the desirability of what the Deputy is advocating. I am having it investigated so as to assess the financial implications.
Would the Minister consider having canteens in these schools?
(Interruptions.)