Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 21 November 2023
330. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Social Protection to provide a list, by county, of the remaining 900 non-DEIS schools that recently, following an invitation from her Department, expressed an interest in the hot school meals programme. [50571/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe School Meals Programme provides funding towards the provision of food services to some 1,700 schools and organisations benefitting 300,000 children. The objective of the programme is to provide regular, nutritious food to children to support them in taking full advantage of the education provided to them. The programme is an important component of policies to encourage school attendance and extra educational achievement.
Budget 2023 provided €94.4 million for the programme. In March, school meal rates were increased at a full year cost of €18 million and an additional €14.5 million was approved to allow access to the Hot School Meals scheme for all remaining DEIS schools from September 2023 giving a total budget of €126.9 million. Budget 2024 has increased the funding by an extra €42.5 million giving a total of €146.4 million.
Since my appointment as Minister for Social Protection, I have increased the number of schools with access to the Hot School Meal option from 37 to 1,100. I am committed to continuing to expand the School Meals Programme and building further on the significant extension of the programme that has taken place in recent years. In this regard, the roll out of the Hot School Meals to all remaining DEIS primary and Special schools began in September 2023, benefiting more than 60,000 children.
As part of significant plans to extend the Hot School Meals programme, all remaining primary schools were contacted and requested to submit an expression of interest form if their school is interested in commencing the provision of hot school meals. Expressions of interest forms were received from over 900 non-DEIS schools in respect of 150,000 children.
It should be noted that while my Department provides the funding to schools for the School Meals Programme, it is the responsibility of schools to choose their supplier in a open, fair and transparent manner in accordance with national legislation and EU directives on procurement.
Details of the schools involved will be announced in due course.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the deputy.
