Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am not interested in having a row with the Deputy. The point he has raised is very serious. School principals know the background and circumstances which cause such problems which are many and evident across a number of issues. It is a case of being able to have a flexible scheme. The Deputy is aware of the need for sensitive treatment of children in school, as no one want to see social barriers erected. It is a case of a principal having an understanding of the background to individual problems. That children are well fed and nourished is very important for their concentration levels and educational attainment. No child in an Irish school in 2013 should be hungry. It is a case of using the resources being expended where they will be most beneficial. It is not a case of meeting principals to hear from them what the Deputy is telling me.; rather, it is a case of being able to use the resources available to best effect. I will discuss the issue with the Minister for Education and Skills following the meeting with principals from the association to which the Deputy referred.

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