Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)

They did not offer me any. What I thought was a lovely idea was that they insist the girls sit down at properly set tables. They are not allowed to have books, games or anything with them so they must engage in conversation. They are learning basic table manners while at the same time communicating with each other rather than sitting in front of the television or a Game Boy with food on their laps.

I have seen inner city schools where parents come in very early in the morning to organise the breakfast for the breakfast club and then healthy sandwiches and rolls for the children. The programme is being implemented in different ways. Schools are able to decide how to implement it given their facilities, needs and the voluntary activity of some parents or whatever staff are available. We are very anxious all the schools in DEIS are able to benefit from it. At present, approximately 474 schools in DEIS are not involved. They are being written to on a phased mailshot basis, inviting them to apply to participate so that we can roll it out in an organised way. All the schools will be invited to participate.

Not all the breakfast clubs take place in the school. Under the local projects scheme, some of them take place in a community hall or some other local facility. Again, that links into the community and organisations working with families. It is a good and integrated way to do it. I am not sure Jamie Oliver's way of doing it in the UK school meals system worked. Certainly, the idea of healthy, nutritious food is important for children.

The last thing we want is to set up big structures with environmental health officers, etc, coming in and the whole thing getting out of control. What is happening now is a really positive and valuable way to support children and their families.

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