Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Does the Tánaiste accept that food poverty has a particularly negative effect on children? It affects their health, educational attainment and their behaviour in school. I welcome the increase in the budget for the school meals programme in the current year. That needs to be continued.

Does the Tánaiste also accept that there perhaps needs to be a restructuring of the school meals programme? As I understand it, at present approximately 14% of the funding goes to breakfast clubs with the balance of the funding being spent on lunches, but studies have clearly indicated that the best outcomes for children come from having a substantial breakfast made available to them at the start of the day. That is one of the things that is not happening because of the manner in which the school meals programme is organised.

Would the Minister agree that there must be an urgent restructuring of the system?

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