Bríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for the written report, because it is good to have all those facts in writing. What I wish to ascertain concerns the problem that arose last year, having had the announcement from the Government that all DEIS schools would have access to the meals programme of hot meals for national schools and cold food for secondary schools, with regard to schools throughout the country. The deputy head of the Irish Primary Principals' Network, IPPN, Ms Tobin, has stated she must tell parents it is not the case that this scheme has been expanded to their school. Ms Tobin has stated she is sure other schools that joined DEIS have had meals from day one and she is really disappointed. She expressed the hope that someone in the Government will address this as we cannot have children going without lunches and she thinks parents will be raging. Has that legacy issue been dealt with? Is there now no problem with schools being able to access the scheme if they try?

Having received the Minister of State's report, I will raise the question of the lack of availability or funding of hot meals for secondary schools. This is wrong. It will not, in the long term, save the State any money, because many teenagers leave school at lunchtime to buy chips or chicken roll sandwiches, which are not good for their health, cause obesity and are very expensive for parents. We are living in a cost-of-living crisis and I do not need to tell the Minister of State or anybody else in this House, how that cost-of-living crisis really hurts parents trying to afford food for children. If a parent is forking out for a chicken roll or chips every lunchtime for his or her secondary school, adolescent, growing or going-through-puberty child, the parent is paying €38 to €40 per week, on top of all the other expenses. It is really not on and the Department should be seeing the responsibility of the provision of hot meals for all children, including secondary school children, as a priority.

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