Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)

It has delayed launching the scheme in new schools. We are working through all of these at present, trying to make sure all schools will have hot school meals. I think we are confident that all that want it will have it by the end of this year.

As the Deputy knows, regarding the overall issue, we have employed and funded a dietician who is based in the Department of Health and I am expecting to receive a report from this dietician in the coming weeks on the nutritional element of school meals and food waste, which are the issues that keep coming back to us.

Expenditure on the supplementary welfare allowance is approximately €26 million below the Revised Estimate. This is due to fewer recipients than were estimated and the demand-led nature of the scheme. I have asked the officials to look at this and interrogate it more. It is something that surprised me from what I know about our daily work. It is something I will be watching with regard to how it has arisen.