Charlie McConalogue (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail)
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I welcome all three groups to this afternoon's meeting. I thank them for their presentations and their time. I thank the Healthy Food for All organisation for its advocacy work across the country. I would like to make a few comments and ask a few questions. I will begin by asking the Department of Social Protection about the comments made by Ms Keenan and the Irish Primary Principals Network in relation to the current structure for food provision and their suggestions for how that might be improved and amended. Do the officials from the Department have any commentary or feedback on those suggestions? I would like to know whether those suggestions have been given any consideration within the Department. I think that would be welcome.

I am aware that Healthy Food for All is an all-island organisation. Could Ms Keenan provide a little additional commentary on the difference between the current structure in Northern Ireland and that in the Republic? What is the difference in how they operate? Is there anything we can learn from how things are done in the Six Counties, in particular? I understand that Healthy Food for All has proposed the establishment of a forum to structure this scheme and has indicated its belief that this should be done by a single Department. I would like its representatives to state which Department would be best placed to do that, in their view. If they have put together any costings on what needs to be achieved, and what it would cost to get there, I would like details of them.

I would like to hear some feedback from the representatives of the Irish Primary Principals Network on whether this scheme should be administered by a single Department. Mr. McCabe made the point that "where it is properly done", the schools meals programme has been a radical measure and has made a significant impact. I ask him to flesh that out a bit more. What does he mean by "properly" in this context? What does that mean for him? What exactly is involved in those instances where this is done "properly"? Mr. McCabe also made some points about the funding of facilities and the need for training and support. If he has any particular costings for the type of budget he is talking about in this context, I would like to hear about them.

I will conclude by putting some questions to the officials from the Department of Social Protection. Does the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine provide any funding for school meal projects? Am I wrong in thinking that some level of funding comes from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine in some instances? Can the departmental officials comment on whether they feel that many of the DEIS schools which are not participating in the scheme do not seem to have identified a need for school meals? If that is the case, I wonder how they can be so sure. Is it the Department's view that in some schools, there is no need for school meals to be provided?