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

We are increasing it, but instead of increasing the numbers, I want to see there being more hot school meals. They are a little more expensive, but a hot school meal for a child in the middle of the day is worth its weight in gold. We all know from packing school lunch boxes with cold meals that children take a bite of them but are then away and gone.

Having spoken with teachers and parents, they value hot school meals. We cannot do everything in one day and must instead do it incrementally. I would love to see every child in this country, regardless of status, getting a hot dinner in the middle of the day. It is something of which we would be proud. The Deputy and I know what it is like putting stuff in lunch boxes and trying to get children to eat it.

Most of the time they leave them at the bottom of the school bag and by the time someone gets to them, it is a black banana and a smelly ham sandwich that is gone off and blue moulded. I want to see a hot school meal delivered to every child while seated at a table. I will work to continue to increase that provision. The Minister of State, Deputy Joe O'Brien, is supportive of that.

See this speech in context