Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 8 September 2020
784. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of additional schools that will provide hot school meals in September 2020; the number currently offering the programme; the number of children that will receive the meal; if a further 35,000 children will receive those as announced by the Government in January 2021; and if 42,000 children will receive hot meals now; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22591/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe school meals programme provides funding towards the provision of food to some 1,580 schools and organisations benefitting 250,000 children. The objective of the scheme is to provide regular, nutritious food to children who are unable, due to a 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.
As part of Budget 2019, funding was provided for a pilot scheme from September 2019, providing hot school meals in primary schools at a cost of €1m for 2019 and €2.5m in 2020. The pilot involved 37 schools benefitting 6,744 students for the 2019/2020 academic year. Hot meals are paid at the rate of €2.90 per child per day.
Budget 2020 provided an additional €4 million in funding to extend the hot meals for children currently receiving the cold lunch option, which will allow my Department to extend the hot meals to an additional 35,000 children. A decision has been made to delay the extension of the hot meals to January 2021 because of the closure of schools due to the Covid-19 Pandemic from 13 March 2020. The 37 schools in the pilot can continue to avail of the hot school meals option from September 2020.
I trust this clarifies the matter.
