Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for raising the issue concerning the carers who had to work more than 18 hours. I can fully understand the situation they have found themselves in, where they stayed an extra few hours to put their shoulder to the wheel to help in the ongoing efforts in respect of the pandemic, which was extremely difficult for them. I will certainly ask my officials to look at that issue and I will revert directly to the Deputy. It would not be right to penalise somebody who was doing something in an emergency situation, so I will certainly get my officials to examine this matter.

Regarding the school meals, I was pleased we kept the funding going. Many schools are availing of the schools meals programme and it is great they were able to continue on with it. I commend the work the schools have done and also the contractors who took on the job of delivering these meals, because sometimes they are delivered to the homes directly and sometimes they are delivered to the schools for collection. It certainly has made a difference to young people and children to get a substantial meal. I am anxious to continue and expand the scheme. More than a thousand schools have been helped through that programme. There is also the hot school meals programme, which I announced in the budget. We cannot start it immediately, but the request for expressions of interest has gone out and the process is underway. We have deferred the announcement because the schools are closed.

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