Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy. As the Deputy will be aware, we will have a free schoolbooks scheme for all primary schools starting in September. That idea was first proposed by Barnardos. I remember meeting the charity about it several years ago. It was piloted by then Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy McHugh. Now the Minister for Education, Deputy Foley, will make a reality of it.

The charity is now proposing the extension of hot school meals. This is also an idea that we have acted on. The Minister, Deputy Humphreys, is leading that programme. We will have free hot school meals in every DEIS primary school and every special school by September. The Minister, Deputy Humphreys, has also written out to schools that are non-DEIS to see if they would be interested in participating in this programme as well.

I had the pleasure of visiting a bunscoil in Cahir in Tipperary, with Deputy Mattie McGrath and others, to see that working last week. It is great to see it working - individualised hot school meals for kids with their names on it.

Providing that in the summer period during the holidays would involve logistical complications but we will examine it. The priority is DEIS schools and special schools first and other schools that are interested second. Then we can look at the possibility of extending it to the holiday period.

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